The Possessed
by Zilleniose
Summary: [AU] Rosette has grown up her entire life being called The Possessed. An otherwordly creature follows her shadow, but is her so called haunting a curse... or a blessing? [CxR]
1. Findings

Heya everyone! I'm back…sorta…. With a little experiment I've been itching to do for a while now. I've pretty much dumped "Firefly", seeing as I lost my inspiration. In this chapter, you'll probably notice it starts out a little fuzzy, that's because I started it probably last year, when I couldn't write as good.

Oh yes, and this fic, much unlike my other work, is going to be a great deal darker. Yay angst! C'mon everyone, say it with me now. But it does have Rosette x Chrno in it. Plenty of it. You may just need to wait a few chapters. ;;

I don't own Chrno Crusade. Daisuke Moriyama does.

* * *

A young girl of about seven years of age stood at the edge of the playground, clutching what seemed to be a worn stuffed bunny, its ears drooping in a friendly manner, the button eyes a little looser than they should be. She frowned, biting her lip as she watched her younger brother run along the slide, watching and laughing as some of his newfound friends slid down to join him. 

She was always watching him… ever since his health had diminished a few years ago, she was constantly worried about him. Simply staying out too long in the sun could trigger an attack, and there was nothing to do to help him, other than be there for him. But… she had her own problems to worry about, even at such a tender young age.

"Hey, you're Joshua's sister, aren'tcha?"

She looked over towards a boy no taller than her, a wide grin spread across his face, his dark brown hair messy and sticking in all sorts of directions. She merely blinked at him, and nodded.

"You wanna play tag? We could use some extras." He placed his hands on his hips, as a few other children wandered next to his side, each one looking at the girl expectantly.

"…No thanks." She replied with a tiny smile, and quickly went back to watching her brother, wincing as he fell in the mulch, but got back up again without a scratch.

"Huh? Why not?"

"I don't feel like it….besides…" She said quietly, squeezing her bunny closer to her as she looked at the boy shyly. "Bad things happen to people who are around me."

"You break a mirror or sumthin'?" A girl asked, squeezing past the boy with wide eyes. "I heard that can give ya seven years of bad luck!"

"…It's not luck." She frowned, shaking her head. "Just….things happen when I'm around."

"Ah, you're jus' scared!" Another boy laughed. "Maybe she's a really slow runner or sumthin'!"

"I'm not slow." She quickly shot back, eyes glaring at the boy sharply. "I just don't want to play."

"Chicken chicken!" He stuck his tongue out, as a few others laughed at his antics.

"At least I'm not a pig-faced retard like you." She balled up her fists, gritting her teeth. "Leave me alone before I break your nose."

"What was that?" He growled, stepping close to her and glaring at her straight in the eye, which she generously mirrored back. "You've got a lot of nerve, you brat!" He brought up his fist to chest level, like a boxer who would have just entered the ring.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." She said in a level tone, her gaze firm on him though her anger was clearly trying to get the better of her.

"Or what? Little brat!" He just spat and shoved her forcefully, sending her down onto the mulch-covered ground with a whimper. He reared back his fist, barely before she could open her eyes back up and catch her breath.

"No, don't - !"

Before the boy's fist could even move and inch towards her, a ripple of air appeared beneath the girl, as her shadow seemed to extend. As quick as lightning, it shot forward and repelled the fist like a mosquito against a roll of paper. With a yelp, the boy was sent careening backwards a few feet, scraping across the mulch.

It only took one scream of 'monster' before she gained the nickname that would stick with her the rest of her life.

"Rosette the Possessed."

-- Chapter 1 --

Findings

'I can't believe it…' A blond girl about the age of sixteen steps off a bus, her worn sneakers shifting under her feet as she walks along the sidewalk, mumbling as passerby's bump their shoulders into hers without so much a smile in apology. She was well known in this town… the same as any town she's lived in, and by now, she's been in too many to count. With being orphaned at the tender age of four, she had been put up for adoption along with her younger brother.

But the truth is, no one seemed to keep them for long.

Because of the siblings' unusually strong bond, they had avoided many foster parents in the past simply because they wanted the quiet young boy, or the sweet little girl with the pigtails. Most of their new parents weren't as caring as others, but beggars can't be choosers. If there was anywhere the blond girl didn't want to be, it would be the orphanage. Not only did she get picked on, on a regular basis, she always felt lonelier there, even with her brother by her side. And not to mention, the eyes of something she couldn't ever place her finger on.

Rosette Christopher grew up to be known as "The Possessed", for many reasons. Some said she was being followed by a vengeful spirit from the other side of the plane, and some even thought she was born with the abilities of a medium she couldn't quite grasp. Either way, no matter where the young girl went, no matter who adopted her and her brother, she always saw at least one pair of eyes looking at her like she was a monster.

"If Jennifer had only been more careful…!" She cursed, clenching her eyes shut as she roughly ran her fingers through her hair, letting out the high ponytail in the back that had been required to wear at work. Her and her little brother had settled down in this town for a while now, and she even found time for a job on the weekends and sometimes after school – and though she knew she'd meet a sly comment or two about her nickname every day, she looked forward to going to that wretched diner….

But that's because of payday. Hell, she hated that place.

Nearly a year ago, Joshua, her little brother, had attracted attention of a certain couple, and couldn't resist him. They were actually about to be kicked out of the orphanage (Rosette kept thanking the lord, though it was obvious how nervous she was getting), after staying there an extra year they were supposed to be. At fifteen and fourteen years of age, Joshua and Rosette Christopher were the oldest orphans in the lot, and weren't exactly welcome as it was. So, it was the last thing she could think of… either take another chance with another family that can't possibly be as bad as the one before, or live on the streets. Lucky for them, their parents allowed them to live by themselves and give them a steady income for food and the like, enough to get them by… but it was obvious if they wanted to keep their foster parents from finding out the true horrors of 'the Possessed', they'd have to live on their own.

And by true horrors, you can only tell what that means if you witness a scene caused by Rosette. Just like at the diner not hours ago, before the young sixteen year old sophomore was 'given leave' as they like to call it. Jennifer was supposed to be the shadow of Rosette, the new girl – who was a little clumsy, but eager to help and full of spirit nonetheless. Well, clumsy enough to step over her own feet while putting a boiling pot of water over another burner, which with all the tainted luck Rosette had, went right for her. A gust of wind and what Jennifer described as a bend from her own shadow propelled the pot and the rest of the scalding water away from the surprised blond.

'_Just what is wrong with me…?'_ She thought while fumbling through her pockets to find the keys to the apartment, having come upon the stairs to the complex some time ago. _'It's like my luck has been getting worse lately…._'

With some ease, she got her keys out and unlocked the door to her apartment, walking soundly just as she heard the TV in the living room go on.

"Neesan!" A more childish voice sounded as the teenage girl walked into the small family room, when a near exact replica of herself bolted from the couch, setting down a laptop computer onto the table in front of him. "You're home early!" He said with glee, latching onto the slightly shorter girl, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Uhg…." She replied, hearing her bones crack a bit at her little brother's tight hold, making her eyebrow twitch in response. "Yeah…..something happened at work. They said I could leave early….don't worry, they're still paying me full time. I just missed an hour or so."

The blond-haired boy's hug loosened, as he looked down with a concerned expression, going to no lengths to hide it. "…Did it happen again?"

She just shook her head, puffing her cheeks out in annoyance as she shoved him lightly, walking to the living room with a groan. "I don't know what you're talking about, Joshua."

"Neesan," He prodded, following her until she sat down on the couch, grabbing the remote and flicking the TV on to try and avoid the boy's questions. "You know what I mean. That ghost that's following you."

"There's no ghost following me." She assured him, though she really didn't know herself. She was always tender about the subject, and purely for her little brother's sake, always turned down his suspicions, telling him he was such a child for thinking that she was possessed by a vengeful ghost, or had been cursed with something. "I told you that a millions times. Now drop it."

"I won't," He said sternly, sitting down beside his big sister with a bit of a frown, pulling his laptop back into his lap, pulling up a page on his web browser. "You know as well as I do even you can't be clumsy enough to do some of the things that happen to you. Now tell me what the situation was at work."

She sighed, shrugging her shoulders as she admitted defeat. She could never say no to him for long….and the worst part it, he knew it. Little bugger. "A pan of boiling water almost fell on me. Never hit me though, just went back straight at Jennifer. Lucky she jumped, or she would have gotten worse burns…"

"Is that it?" He asked, eyes a little wide. Of course he didn't mean 'is that all?', lord no, in fact this interested him more than any book he could get his hands on – and if only everyone knew how much Joshua Christopher loved books…. "Did it reflect back, like it hit a force field?"

"Joshua, I'm not the heroine of some twisted sci-fi novel like the ones you read." Rosette replied in a grunt, but that only provoked him. "It just kinda….I dunno. Changed direction."

"Things don't normally do that while airborne, Neesan." He simply frowned at her, shaking his head. "There was something I wanted to show you….I was surfing the web when I found it. I think we may have found an answer as to why you're called 'The Possessed'."

She raised an eyebrow, trying to dull her surprise and maintain a calm demeanor as she changed the channel on the TV. "Another one of those silly occult sites? Give me a break, Joshua."

"No no, this is an organization." He beamed at her, scooting close to her so he could show her what was on the screen. "It was founded hundreds of years ago they say, and used to have bases all across the world, mostly in America… even had their own military. But now they've shrunk down to two branches, one in San Francisco…" He paused and grinned. "And one right here in New York."

"You sure it's not just some fake site some teenagers put up?" She sighed but looked nonetheless, showing vague interest. "….The Magdalene Order?" Oh great, it's a religious cult.

"No Rosette, it's the real deal. It's got a webpage and everything…"

"You can't keep believing everything that damned internet tells you."

"Just look," He pulled her arm, pointing to the screen. "There are a bunch of stories in here that most were too…classified so to speak, for the newspaper and such. Some of them have made reports on the news though….."

"I don't believe this." The blond teen shook her head. "How do you know any of this is true?"

He just gave her a soft, sad look. "Well… what do you have to lose?" He asked quietly. "Neesan, you've lived with this for sixteen years….you can't deny something's wrong here. And I really think we have the answer right here in front of us."

She sat there silent, before groaning and standing to her feet, rubbing her temples. "I can't take this anymore. If you need me, I'll be in my room doing homework. I've got a test tomorrow in Ecology…"

Joshua frowned, but nodded as she left, looking crestfallen. "Alright…"

If only she could see how worried he was…… maybe she would have gave him a chance to prove he could help.

-----

The blue-eyed girl fell down onto her bed with a sigh, fumbling her pillow in her arms and muffling her face with it. Honestly, what was that boy thinking? She had more important things to worry about rather than some silly superstition! Her grades were dropping, she was probably going to get fired from her current job real soon at the diner…And if that happens, she'll have to ask her foster parents for money again. She hated that.

Sure, she only saw them every few months or so, on holidays and such…and all in all, they were terrific people. When she and her brother were adopted, they were more than ready to introduce them into a life of luxury. A beautiful mansion, a private estate, and the ties to get them both into a top-notch school.

Most called her crazy when she denied the royalties, and instead, offered she and Joshua would get their own apartment, and earn money on their own. Her foster parents were moved… and so, let them do as they wished.

But Rosette doesn't have that much charity. In fact, on the inside, she wished she could stay with her foster parents for the rest of her years. She wouldn't have to deal with this job or stressful school life. But she was cursed… possessed, as many called it. And if they ever found out, there wouldn't be another orphanage to go back to. They'd be on the streets.

With a long, frustrated sigh, she rolled over on her stomach and reached down over the side of her bed and grabbed her laptop. The thing was old and probably had no more than two GB worth of memory on it, but with her glorious minimum-wage job she was blessed with, all she could afford was a piece of art right from a dumpster.

And her little brother got a brand-spanking new one from his last birthday. Not that she used her five pound computer that much, short of typing essays and talking to friends on occasions – but every once and a while she wished she could surf the net as quickly as Joshua does. 'I hope that doesn't make me a geek…'

Waiting three minutes for her lousy distraction of a machine and several irritating hums and bleeps later, her web browser was up and running.

"What was that address….?" She mumbled to herself, reaching over and expertly clicking around on the small keyboard.

She couldn't believe she was doing this.

"Magdalene…" She whispered, the bright screen reflecting off of her cerulean eyes with clarity. "The Order of Magdalene." The site looked nothing special, with all due respect, it even looked somewhat shady. This had to be some sort of a hoax… There was no way tales of occurrences like the ones she's been through are common enough to be piled together in an international website.

"Hauntings…Curses….Demons…" She scrolled through page after page, scanning through some vaguely descriptive documents before she raised an eyebrow. "Second realm Astral projections?" That certainly sounded odd. "Some clients have claimed to be haunted by otherworldly creatures such as the undead… but have been able to physically interact with their surroundings, and in most cases, harms their host." That sounded more like what she was going through, although, she was never the one to get hurt. It was always ones around her.

"I'm insane." She shook her head, sighing and rolling over to her side, away from the computer. "This is insane. There's no such things as ghosts."

She lay there for a long while, pondering and sighing frequently about why she should take this as seriously as Joshua is. Sure, whatever's happening is interfering with her daily life, but should she really be investigating the paranormal? If stuff like this has happened before, people would know about it.

Sighing for the umpteenth time that day, she rolled back over to her laptop, scanning the few stories they had posted on the site about 'Second real Astral projections'. They all had some sort of similarity, but…. It wasn't enough to make her truly concerned. Still, she was compelled to continue looking, before a few names appeared on the screen, accompanied with a small photo.

"Yuan Remington….?" She stated the name out loud, looking at the photo quizzically. His rank was a first Official of the paranormal investigators in the Order of Magdalene, and as luck would have it… He lived only a few blocks away from the very room Rosette was sitting in. "No way. People actually have jobs for this?"

Taking in this information slowly, she closed her eyes, and reached for a pen on her nightstand, and a blank index card. She quickly jotted down some numbers, before reaching up to close the lid of her laptop. This was insane. A hoax. Nothing in this world could be explained in such a horrific manner, such as the existence of the paranormal. This couldn't be the answer for her.

"Joshua!" The blond teen called down the hall as she stepped out her room, walking towards the living area where her little brother had begun to gather a few DVDs and books into a backpack. "….You leaving?"

"Yeah," He nodded, smiling up at his sister as he zipped up his bag and stood, slinging it over his shoulders. "Billy and I are going to do some studying together. I've got my cell with me, but I might not be back until late."

"Oh….alright. Be careful." She nodded, not taking time to lecture him about his health like she usually does before he's about to take a trip out somewhere without her. Stuffing her hands in the pockets of her jeans, she walked to the door and slipped on her shoes.

This time, it was Joshua's turn to question. He stepped into the hall, looking at her with a confused expression. "You're leaving too?"

"Yeah….Just going to take a little walk." She said softly, before slipping out the door, leaving her brother to ponder what her real intentions were.

As she walked down to the sidewalk, she pulled out the index card she had scribbled on. "Yuan Remington…" She repeated his name, before looking up, down the street. She was going to pay him a little visit….

* * *

Gasp! What will happen? What will Rosette find from Remington? O.O I know. And you don't. Nyeah. 

Until next chapter! Tootles :3

Zoey


	2. And Thus it Begins

Okay, next chapter! Thanks for all the reviews:

I do not own Chrno Crusade.

------------------------------

--Chapter 2 –

_Answers_

Rosette stepped up to the apartment door, thankful it was on the first level and relatively easy to find. But how was she supposed to go about doing this…?

"Hi. I'm Rosette, and I'm being possessed by a vengeful spirit. Can you help me?" She asked in a sickeningly innocent smile, looking up at the air with sparkling eyes. A few moments passed, and she sighed, dropping her hands back to her sides, shaking her head. Yeah, right, like that would work. She really needs a trip to a mental hospital right about now.

Hesitantly, she reached up, pushing the doorbell as she crumpled up the index card and put it back in her pocket. This is silly… what if he's not even home?

"Coming, coming…" A voice from somewhere in the back responded to the ringing, before footsteps were heard momentarily from inside … then the sound of falling books followed suit, accompanied by a muttered curse.

'_Maybe…this wasn't such a good idea…_' The hesitant teen cringed slightly, watching the door as if afraid to see it open. But alas, the doorknob turned and there stood tall golden-haired man, with his white collared shirt unbuttoned to his chest, his tie sticking out in an odd direction, making him seem very untidy.

"Very sorry about that…I was in the middle of cleaning out my study…" The man said with a light voice, brushing his hair to straighten it up a bit, then looking down at Rosette with a peculiar expression. "Who might you be, young miss?"

"Ah… I'm Rosette Christopher, sir." She said quietly, looking a little embarrassed as he stared at her. "Y-you don't know me, but… I saw you on the Magdalene Order's site, and though maybe you could help me?"

The man raised an eyebrow, grinning softly. "Oh, really now? What seems to be the problem?" He asked casually, holding out his hand. "Yuan Remington. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Christopher."

"Likewise." She smiled softly, shaking his hand kindly. "It's a little complicated… I'm not sure if I should pester you about this, I'm sure you're busy… but there's something that's been bothering me for a while." She paused for a moment, Yuan waiting patiently as she tried to find the right words. "I think I may have a problem with a… something paranormal. Do you think you could help me?"

Instantly Yuan's eyes brimmed with interest, and he nodded, opening the door behind him. "Would you like to come inside? I can tell by your voice, there's more to your story. I would be glad to be of assistance, it is my job, after all."

"Thank you sir," Rosette breathed a sigh of relief, before stepping inside his apartment. Surprisingly enough, the entry way and as far as she could see, the living room was quite tidy. "Are you sure you're not too busy?"

"Oh heavens no." He laughed wholeheartedly, closing the door behind them both, gesturing for her to follow. "Like I said, I was just cleaning out my study. It's a mountain of books in there… sorry if the noise startled you. Now, why don't we sit down… and you can tell me what your troubles are."

She nodded, smiling despite her best efforts to remain calm and collected. She didn't want to seem like an obsessed occult freak like her brother. "Well… Mr. Remington…" They both walked into the living area, Yuan taking a seat on the couch by the coffee table, while she took the chair on the opposite side.

"Please, call me Yuan." He smiled, making Rosette blush faintly.

"Yuan…. I've been having these strange occurrences all throughout my life. I'm sixteen now, and… until now, I've been pretty quiet about it." The older man nodded, relaxing a bit in his seat, as if getting comfortable for a long story. "And well, my brother's concerned about my wellbeing, and… whatever is happening, it's been harming other people around me."

"What sort of occurrences, my dear?"

"….Will you promise you won't think I'm crazy? Or weird?" She asked timidly, playing with her fingers a bit as she looked up at him, hesitant.

"I specialize in the weird, Miss Christopher." He laughed softly. "Believe it or not, I've dealt with many cases like your own."

She relaxed a bit at that, and took a breath, continuing. "Well… Ever since I was little… I've always felt as though someone was constantly watching me. That I'm never alone."

"Do you feel this way as we speak?"

"Yes sir. I always feel this way. I've just gotten used to it over the years." She nodded softly.

"Do go on, don't mind me." He replied, reaching over to the coffee table, and grabbed some paper under a stack of books, and grabbed a pen from the pocket in his shirt, beginning to take notes.

"Even as a child… I grew up with the nickname, "The Possessed". Back at the orphanage… and even in school, during my job, weird things start happening. My brother has seen this happen the most, and… I'm not sure I believe him, but he says when something happens, he could swear he sees my shadow move on its own."

Remington paused in his writing for a moment, looking up at her quizzically. "Your shadow?"

"Yes… I mean, that's what he tells me. To tell you the truth, I only noticed it happen once, maybe twice." She began to fiddle with her fingers a bit again, feeling a little embarrassed.

"What sort of occurrences take place? Do you get hurt?" He asked, his voice more serious now, his eyes gazing at her with concern.

"No, it's quite the opposite. Every time someone or something tries to hurt me…. It backfires on them. I… I sent a few people to the hospital before because of this. Boys who tried to beat me up at school… a car almost ran into me a few years back, and…. Almost killed the driver when witnesses say they veered off to the side, and drive into a building." She paused, biting her lip. "But that's not what happened. Something hit the car - There was… there was a giant dent on the side, like something had hit it, knocked it away."

Yuan fell completely silent as he listened to her story, before getting to his feet and walking to an old bookcase at the side of the room. "This sort of thing has been happening all your life?" He asked softly, grabbing a book off the shelf and began to finger through its contents. He didn't even have to turn around to see her nod. "Rosette, there are many different kinds of haunting…some may be followed by a vengeful spirit, a ghost. But they can't do much than spook the person, or maybe give someone an illness. Nothing physical like you describe. Then there are Second realm Astral projections…"

"I saw those on the website." She spoke up, hands gripping her jeans slightly as she spoke. "What are those?"

"More or less, a high class of undead. But they do not usually stay alongside one person…. Let alone help them. Would you say whatever you think is following you, has been protecting you?" He stepped over to a small box on an end table, grabbing a necklace out of it.

"I suppose…but it almost killed a few people too…"

"From what I can deduct, this leaves you with two other options… Though neither of them make perfect sense…" He paused for a moment, shaking his head. "Well, technically, three, but…it's almost impossible. There hasn't been anyone….hundreds of years…." He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts by now, and it was starting to worry the young girl.

"Wh-what's impossible?" She asked in a shaky voice. "Yuan, am I…. this isn't going to _kill_ me, will it?"

"…. Listen…. I have something to ask you that may be a little personal…" The blond man walked back over with a book in hand, the necklace chain hanging out of his loose fist. "Have you ever had a night terror, or even a simple nightmare…. Of something watching you?"

"Yes…. Many times, actually." She replied quietly, subconsciously rubbing the side of her neck. "Because it happens so much during the day."

Remington fell silent as he watched her gesture, looking a little pale. "Rosette, is there any reason why you're rubbing your neck?"

She blinked, pausing for a moment before she retreated her hand, looking at it, dumbfounded. "N-no… I just did… I guess it's kind of a habit."

Even at her reassurance, the man didn't seem to relax, if anything, his voice became darker. "Have you ever woken from one of those nightmares… and found strange markings on your body?" He paused. "Specifically, your neck?"

Rosette seemed to blush and pale a bit at the same time, before lifting her hand up to touch the side of her neck once more. "Y-yes… I always thought I had just scratched myself though…"

That was more than enough for him. Without hesitating, he stood to his feet, and walked over to the chair where the young girl sat, who was now looking more and more nervous by the second. "Y-Yuan….what…?"

"_This_," He knelt down beside her, revealing the necklace he held in his palm. It was an intricate silver cross, decorated with various jewels and scriptures. "Is a cross that was blessed by Pope John Paul III. There is a possibility that whatever may be following you, is holy…." He walked to her front, holding the cross out. "But if not…"

Rosette paled, taking in a slow breath.

"May I?" He asked quietly, holding the glistening cross a slight closer.

She nodded, worry adorning her features.

"In the name of the Holy Father…" Yuan said softly, and raised the cross, about to place it on her heart.

He wasn't even able to finish the incantation, a sort of cold air seeping into his lung that forbade him to utter a word more of the holy scripture - the cross was flung from his hand, with such force that it careened to the wall at the opposite side of the room, cracking the plaster and ultimately… shattering the silver cross into four uneven pieces.

The two witnesses had paled, and the temperature seemed to drop considerably before either could even breath.

"Y-Yuan? Yuan what happened?!" Rosette said frantically, hairs standing on end as she stared at the broken cross, fear flowing through her veins faster than blood. In all her life…. Nothing like this…

The man spoke so softly, she almost didn't hear him... And as he uttered the foreboding title, she froze completely, terror rising up from the bottom of her feet, to her throat.

"…._Demon_."

-------------------------------

HAHA! Yes, sorry that was a short one. The next one will be up soon. :3

And if you haven't figured out yet who it is that's possessing Rosette, you seriously need some mental help.

Zoey


	3. The Shadow

Next chappie! Hohoho. I like this one.

Thankies for all the reviews! PS Akuma, yes, you were right. XD Yes, you get a cookie. Hands you a cookie

I do not own Chrno Crusade.

-

--Chapter 3--

_The Shadow_

"_Demon_…"

That single word truck her deeper than any blade could. She could almost feel the cold chill he felt when he spoke, though irrelevant to the obvious dropping temperature that was quickly beginning to dull their senses.

"That didn't just happen…." The young girl shuddered, staring wide-eyed at the cross at the other side of the room, the broken jewels on its silver surface no longer shining, as if it had been tainted. "Y-Yuan, tell me that didn't happen…"

"Rosette," He said suddenly, making her cringe as he looked up at her, face as pale as her own. That was the first time he called her by her first name… "This is serious. You need to listen to me, and you must stay calm."

"C-Calm? Yuan, why-?" She gripped the sides of the chair, suddenly looking as terrified as she felt. "I need to get out of here…! Th-this isn't right! There's something wrong!!"

"Don't panic, Rosette." He quickly brought his hands over hers, standing to his feet slowly. By now he was able to see his breath… but just barely. "The more you get upset, the more _it_ does too."

"_It_?" She looked up at the man with wild eyes, beginning to tear up. "What's it? The _demon_?!" Her breath hitched, her heart speeding up to miles a minute, pounding fiercely in her chest. "I-I'm possessed by a demon… I'm going to die…!"

"_No_ Rosette, you're _not_ going to die!" He said roughly, raising his voice more than he should have, and apparently… keeping his hands on the young girl for too long. With a sudden movemeny he stepped back from the chair, his hands leaving Rosette's as they went up to his throat, and he strained a few coughs, before falling to his knees, wheezing harshly.

"Y-Yuan!" The young girl bolted from the chair, kneeling down to the ground beside him, placing a careful hand on his shoulder.

"Listen to me, Rosette…." He said quietly, covering one hand over his mouth. "What's happening to you…. Hasn't been recorded in hundreds of years. It's very grave and must be approached with caution." He coughed a few more times, unable to finish. He couldn't hide it any longer, and slowly… blood trailed through his fingers, dribbling down his chin. Whatever was in the room with them… demon or not… it wasn't happy.

Her eyes widened as she saw the blood, it was bright red… meaning it came from within his chest cavity. "No…no…This can't be real…I'm being haunted by some silly ghost….not a demon…"

Yuan ignored her protests, and reached up, gently touching the side of her arm with his free hand to try and calm her down. With a shaky breath he stood up, and walked slowly over to the book case. "We must keep our distance from each other from now on… it seems whatever is following you…. Isn't happy that I'm here. You must stay calm… or it may hurt you too."

Rosette paled even more, as she rested against the front of the chair she was sitting in moments ago, watching him search through his books, a small trail of blood still streaming from the corner of his mouth. Of all her fears…she had never imagined something like this…

"It was said that….A long time ago," He spoke once more after a short silence, grabbing a book then slowly walking back over to the couch. "The moment a human was born, a demon would become assigned to that very person… their lives would be intertwined, until the human's final moments. That was the final, more foremost rule of Pandemonium, the mother of all demons; that the human would belong to no one else, that the demon would protect them from the hands of death from anyone else." He paused for a moment, watching the young girl as she stared at him with wide eyes. "…There was a second, morbid rule that followed… that the human could only be killed by the hands of the demon that was assigned to them, and thus was bound by a '_contract'_. She spoke quietly, hugging her arms close to herself since the room was indeed very cold now.

"Yes. The contract stated that the demon would protect them, serve them as they wish, but were by no means bound by any rule or chains – that it would be _them_ that would take the human's life, and no one else, whether it be human or demon brethren." He replied in a solemn tone, before he began coughing again, staining his hand and lips in blood. He took another breath, trying to hurt and continue before this young girl's demon became really angry and took his life, silencing him permanently. "But the thing is… there was a war… between a band of rebelling demons and their Queen…All demons should have been dead by now…Pandemonium is dead…"

"M-Maybe it's not a demon then…" Rosette spoke quietly, hopefully.

"There's no other explanation….the cross…" He looked back at the broken necklace that still lay on the floor. "An ordinary demon should have only been able to reflect it…. But….. this one has _broken_ it."

"No…"

"Rosette Christopher." He spoke gravely, looking at the young girl with immense pity. "You are possessed by an extremely powerful demon… and as you live, it will only grow stronger. It has protected you all of these years…. So that it can take you life with its own hands."

She shivered, shaking her head slowly as Yuan talked, wishing over and over again that this was just a horrible nightmare… that she would wake up and find herself in her nice, safe bed… she would tell her brother what happened in this nightmare, and he would laugh…. Then everything would be normal again…. "When…?" She whispered quietly. "When is it going to kill me….?"

Remington fell silent, casting his gaze down closer to the floor rather than his client. "That…. I cannot tell you."

"So I'm going to live the rest of my life…" She stuttered, tears beginning to line her eyes, making it hard to see. "Wondering if, every day, this could be the day I die?"

"It depends on the demon…" He replied calmly. "If they see you as a source of power, you will live longer. They receive more from you the longer the Contract remains. If they see you as entertainment…. As a toy… you could be dying a little every day. Demons are sadistic creatures by nature, and have little pity over a human's emotions."

"Th-this isn't helping…" She took in a slow breath, tears streaming down her cheeks, though she tried so hard to make them stop. "Is there anything I can do? I can't live like this knowing that… A demon is always watching me…waiting…"

The blond man gazed at her with a horrible pained expression, before coughing a few times and grabbing a tissue, wiping the blood off his hands. This wasn't good… The temperature is continuing to drop. Much longer, and her demon will have the intent to kill. "I will do my best to find a way. If it makes you feel better… take this book." He said softly, grabbing the leather-bound book he had grabbed earlier, and handed it over to her. Though the moment her fingers brushed over his, he felt a searing pain ripple through his body with a gasp.

"Y-Yaun?" She shuddered, grabbing the book quickly to her chest and standing to her feet.

"I'm fine… but you mustn't stay any longer…. Or we could both be dead in a matter of minutes." He wheezed, wiping off a bit of blood from his lips as he grabbed for a piece of paper and began to scribble down something. "If anything happens that concerns you… here is my number."

The young girl took the paper quickly, her breathing still somewhat erratic from the horrifying truth that still seeped into her thoughts. "Thank you so much…" She whispered, before running to his door, head hanging low in shame as she took her leave, not wanting to endanger this man any further.

A few moments passed as Yuan sat on his couch, leaning back as his breathing slowly started to return to normal. "Dear Lord in Heaven…" He whispered, eyes gazing upwards to the ceiling, pain and sorrow in his voice. "Please watch over you daughter Rosette Christopher…"

-

The entire run home she had felt sick, fear and the dulled pain still running through her veins, as she became yet more aware of something watching her every move. By the time she had made it home, the tears that had once started at Remington's house came back at full force, almost sending her into a fit of despair. A certain thought ran through her mind as she walked to her room, looking around for any signs that Joshua may still be home… but he was gone.

'_If I die by the hands of a demon…_' She whispered in her mind, closing her bedroom door behind her and leaned against it, hiccupping as she tried to calm her tears. '_Will I go to Hell…? How long with this last…_'

"Why are you doing this?" Her voice was small and strained as she spoke to the air, her body slowly moving down before she sat to the ground beside her door, her knees held up tightly and defensively against her chest. "Why won't you leave me alone…?!"

The familiar temperature drop she experienced before began to reappear again, small shivers running up through her arms and legs as she looked around her dark room, the only thing serving as a haven of light being a small lamp beside her bed. "Please…. I beg of you…_stop this_…!" She pleaded, burying her face into her knees, as if trying to shrink back… to disappear. So that nothing could get her.

A small whisp of air traveled up her bare arm, up to her shoulder in an eerie fashion, making the young girl nearly jump out of her skin.

In all her years… she had never _felt_ anything. Maybe it was coincidence, but… in this desperate time, her already frail and helpless mind state only came to the worse conclusion - That the demon that has been following her for sixteen years, was finally responding to her anguish.

"You were there at Yuan's home too, weren't you?" She spoke aloud, her face no longer buried in the safety of her arms as she looked on into the darkest corners of her room, half expecting something to pop out and scare her.

Another whisp of air traveled up her arm, in the same place it had before. This was no coincidence.

The demon was here, and it was answering her.

"_Why_…?" She asked quietly, her voice pathetically small and helpless. "Why do you do these things…? You could have killed him… you could have killed so many people over these years!"

This time, there was no response. No cold air rushing past her skin to comfort her to know that she at least wasn't crazy and talking to the air around her.

Silence filled the room, her sporadic breath the only source of comfort through the nearly deafening state of the uncomfortably calm atmosphere. "….Do you…. _understand_ me?" She asked softly, looking up, eyes searching for any signs of the abnormal. Suddenly the floor she was sitting on ran colder than ice, and it made her jump to her feet with a small scream of surprise. This was frightening her worse than it had before… was it angry that she was trying to talk to it? "P-please! Don't do this to me..!"

She blinked as she felt a warm…. Something, almost like a fingers, cross over the side of her face, and she immediately panicked, whirling around to find nothing was behind her, just the door. Slowly, she backed up, sitting down to her bed as the air around her steadily became normal, no longer biting her skin with cold.

Was it tormenting her? Playing with her? Was it amusing to watch her emotions being tugged around like a ragdoll?

"You're a monster…." She whispered gravely, though a hint of anger had risen to her voice. It was toying with her. "Why don't you answer me?!"

As soon as her voice had risen, the light beside the bed she was sitting on blew out, making her gasp in surprise, leaving her a pitch dark room. She backed up on her bed so that her back touched the wall, grabbing the tangled covers and pulling them over her body.

For the first time, a small puff of air blew against her ear, like an invitation… as a smooth, dark voice whispered close to her body.

"_Rosette_,"

She gasped and cringed away from the direction of the voice, her eyes wide and frantic as she tried to see what just spoke. The demon… the demon had just _spoke _ to her.

"Wh-what do you want f-from me?" She stuttered, face paling as she searched the room as best her sight would allow her. "Where are y-you… how do you-"

A sudden warmth played across her lips, a slight pressure urging her to stop. And she did, her words cutting off suddenly as she froze. There was a short silence in the room, before the soft tenor voice spoke again, from where, she couldn't make out.

"_You needn't be afraid, Rosette_." The voice promised her, any and all amusement she expected to hear, void in his words. It was as if… it was trying to comfort her. And from what she could deduct… it sounded male. Surprisingly human.

"Wh-who are you…?" She asked softly, quivering as she felt the warmth from her lips dissipate.

"_I am as the Minister told you_…" The voice replied with a slight hint of guilt.

Wait…. Minister? "Y-Yuan wasn't a Minister." She said softly. "He worked for the Magdalene Order…"

A small chuckle echoed from beyond. "_Amazing how times change… isn't it? You'd be surprised if you knew what that man was really like a long time ago_…"

She took in a slow breath, feeling a little more at ease now that whoever was following her was speaking to her. Cautiously, she looked over to her cell phone that lay on her nightstand, and reached over, grabbing the metallic device with intent on calling the only person she knew could help her.

But as she opened it up, a small spark shot from it, making her yelp and drop it, the cell clattering to the floor.

"_I wouldn't try that_," The voice said once again, a good deal darker than it was before. "_It doesn't please me that you're affiliating with that man_."

She gave a soft whimper, looking up into the darkness with a helpless shudder. "Why… what are you… going to do…?"

Suddenly the familiar warmth crept up from behind her, even though she was leaning against the cold wall. The feeling of something small and sharp traced across her jawline… it almost felt like small blades… or claws. "_I won't hurt you, my dear Contractor_." It cooed softly in her ear. "_Quite the contrary… I am protecting you from him_."

"P-protecting me…?" She shuttered, her body frozen at the tingling that lingered on her skin where the touches once were. "Why..? Why would a demon…?"

"_Because you belong to **me**, Rosette Christopher_…" The voice purred, the possessiveness in his tone thick as the young girl stiffened at his words. "_No one else_…"

"_S-Stop it_…!" She shivered, pulling up the blankets closer around her, as if it would shield her from her predator. "Please… I don't belong to you…"

"_Ah, but our Contract declares otherwise, dear heart_." The voice replied, the feeling of claws moved down across her neck, to the spot where she had woken up from nightmares, so see a small wound that would appear there. "_And I have tasted your blood many times before as you sleep_…"

She gasped, bringing up a hand to cover her neck, trying to make the tingling sensations disappear. "You're a monster…" She whispered, but that only made the voice laugh in amusement.

"_I suppose I am. But you are forgetting the vow I made to you_…" He spoke again, the tone softening every moment she seemed like her fear would peak. "_I will not harm you, Rosette Christopher. I am here to protect you… you have my word_."

"Wh-why? So you can kill me when the time is right?" She snapped back, anger seething through her fear-laden voice. "No… This isn't…This can't be happening…"

"_Denial only makes the situation worse, my girl_." He spoke softly, the warmth reappearing on her cheek, a calming wave suddenly flowing through her veins. "_Trust me… I am not your enemy_."

"H-How can….." An odd warm sensation spread throughout her body, engulfing her completely as she felt her eyelids grow heavier by the moment – but she wasn't scared. No… it was calming. Something told her she should fight it, that this faux sensation of security was nothing more than a trick that her captor was using against her. But her fear was melting away along with her reason… and her mind craved for the nearly forgotten sense of security and tranquility. Carefully, she lay down in her bed, resting her head against a pillow as she curled her arms and legs close to her body, finally giving in.

"What…" She spoke tiredly, eyes drooping as she fought to stay awake. Through the comforting sensation, her riled mind was able to clear for those few fleeting moments, as a far more simple question arose from her lips – in an almost childlike manner. "What is your name…?"

There was a long silence, before the familiar warmth appeared on her forehead, and she felt her bangs being brushed away out of her eyes.

"…_Chrno_." The voice answered her warmly. "…_My name is Chrno_."

-

Finally! Done with chapter three. Now the real fun begins. It was a little OOC for Rosette to get so petrified during this chapter, but if you suddenly learned all that about yourself, you'd probably go through a little shock.

I know you all saw that coming. It was Chrno the whole time. Hehe… I love making him into somewhat of a sadistic bastard. But he won't always be that way towards Rosette…. Just for a while. What's going to happen now that Rosette knows about Chrno? He's going to eat her! Okay, maybe not…

Look for chapter 4 coming up soon. :3 Tootles!

Zoey


	4. Lost

Back with chapter 4! Sorry about the long wait, I had a bit of a case of writer's block. Thank you all so much for all your wonderful reviews, I really appreciate it! It helps me keep writing. :3

If anyone has any questions at all, do ask, and I'll be sure to reply.

Chrno Crusade © Daisuke Moriyama

-

The next morning was the same as any other morning in the Christopher household. Rosette happened to wake up nearly ten minutes late, rushed herself to take a quick shower, almost choked trying to eat her breakfast, and frantically tried to gather up her homework she needed to take to school.

"Ahhhhhhhh! Dammit dammit dammit!" She cried over and over again, setting her backpack down on the coffee table in the living room, looking over the couch and under the TV stand with an impatient tone to her steps. "If I don't find that report Mrs. Conre will kill me!"

And in the midst of all the panic, a small whisp of air traveled through the room, but the young girl was too wrapped up in trying to find her paper to even notice. A few feet away from where she was looking, a pile of books lay on the floor… and a paper that was sticking out seemed to shutter at the wind, and slowly, was pulled out from in between the books, sliding across the carpet a few inches.

"_Rosette_," A soft tenor voice called out to her from behind the young girl, making her nearly jump out of her skin as she whirled around, face pale with shock. A few moments passed before she calmed herself down, remembering the night before… what had happened. And who she had met.

Before she could open her mouth and speak a word of protest, her eyes fell downwards to the floor, instantly spying the paper she was looking for. "My report!" She almost squealed with excitement, grabbing it in a rush and shoving it in her backpack, before bolting out the door and into the stairwell of her apartment. She quickly mounted her bike that was chained by the sidewalk, and raced off to school.

And just behind her, a pair of warm eyes watched her, as if smiling in content.

--Chapter 4 --

_Lost_

Being a sophmore in high school wasn't as easy as it was for most people, as it was for Rosette. She rarely was ever able to get her homework done, study for tests, or finish projects because of her job – the one she needed to keep if she wanted to continue bringing food to the table for her and Joshua. Sadly enough, no one teacher in the school gave her an ounce of pity for being an orphan, and having to take the responsibilities of an adult so early in life. Sometimes, it made her seethe in anger at their unwillingness to accept her different lifestyle, but… she was never one to let small setbacks hold her down.

The problem was, she no longer had a small setback. She no longer had to worry only about her grades, social life (Or lack thereof), or work. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but feel now that she knew a demon has marked her and forged an unbreakable Contract, her life would only get more complicated.

"Miss Christopher, you are late." An older man in his mid-thirties said monotonously as Rosette walked through the classroom door, all of a few minutes late. Normally when this happens, she'd blurt out numerous excuses, whether they be plausible or not, to try and save another mark on her tardiness. But today, she simply nodded, and made her way slowly to her seat near the back of the room, making her teacher raise an eyebrow in suspicion. That certainly was different…

Despite the teacher's mild worry for his student, he continued class as if nothing had happened, which was a usual routine Rosette was used to. From then on, into all of her other classes, she remained a little quieter than usual, her mind always wandering, thinking, worrying.

"Neesan!" Joshua called with a bright smile from down the hallway, running up to his big sister enthusiastically. "….What's wrong? Did you not sleep well last night? You look horrible…"

"No, I slept fine…" She feigned a smile for her brother, trying to mask her anxiety. "It's nothing, really. Just kind of worried about work is all."

"Eh? Did they threaten to fire you again because of what happened yesterday?" The blond boy blinked, looking positively livid.

"No…nothing of the sort." She replied calmly. "Just don't worry about it. I'm just kind of in an emotional rut right now. Uh…. That time of the month."

"…Okay, didn't need to hear that." He blushed lightly, cringing, but took the bait. "Girls…."

She sighed and rolled her eyes, gripping her backpack in one hand as they walked down the hallway. Maybe she should tell him about what happened yesterday at Yuan's home… she needed someone to talk to so that she didn't keep backing herself in a corner emotionally, but she was afraid Joshua would just worry about her more. And Yuan was out the question. Chrno _really_ didn't seem to like him at all… and the last thing she needed right now was to witness a bloody death right before her eyes.

'_Besides… what is there to do_?' She asked herself, looking down at the floor as she walked, following her brothers feet. '_It's not like there's a cure or anything to sever this Contract… is there_?'

She had contemplated this for a good while, before suddenly a rough push to her shoulder sent her wobbling into her brother, almost knocking them both down to the ground. A male's voice laughed with amusement as she turned around, eyes flickering with annoyance.

"Whoops, sorry Freak." A taller senior snorted, a few of his friends laughing. "Didn't see you there."

Rosette simply regained her posture, biting her lip to keep herself from cursing at him. "Don't mess with me today, Eric. I'm not in the mood." She replied sternly, brushing off her shoulder where he had touched her like it was infected.

"Aww, no witty remarks today? I was looking for a good laugh, too." The boy grinned, raising an eyebrow. "Heard about what happened at the diner last night. You finally get fired?"

"It's none of your business, but for you information, no." She turned back around, grabbing Joshua's arm and hauling him along with her. Her brother looked puzzled once she dropped the argument, wondering why she didn't make a scene, for once.

"I'm surprised to hear that. To think The Possessed is holding a normal job without a high body count…" The senior laughed cruelly. "The world must be coming to and end."

"My _curse_, Eric," She whirled back around, gritting her teeth. "Doesn't kill people, it never has. Now beat it before I shove my boot so far up your ass you're coughing up diamonds!"

Joshua sweatdropped. That was more like her…

"Big talk coming from a runt like you!" Eric snapped, taking a few steps forward closer to her.

"Stay away from me." Rosette's demeanor swiftly changed, her voice reflecting a scared tone. "Seriously, Eric. Don't."

"Why? You afraid you'll get the beating you deserve? Let me tell you something, Christopher, I-"

And at that moment, the boy had crossed the line, sending a wave of air fluctuating around the hallway, Rosette's shadow rippling for but a moment, before it seemed to disappear. In a split second, an invisible force grabbed Eric by the neck, and flung him like a rag doll into the wall, sending the people around him into a panicked fit. The senior's eyes had widened at shock at the speed of the impacts, his body frozen against the cracked plaster of the wall he leaned against, before a small trickle of blood appeared from his forehead, running down to the front of his face. Silence set in for but a moment as people stared at him in horror, before his eyes rolled to the back of his head, his face growing pale as his body slumped to the floor…. Still… cold…

Lifeless.

A handful of people that had seen the horrific event happen before them, ran quickly in opposite directions, some to call for help, others simply to get away from 'The Possessed'. "Rosette…" Joshua's voice cracked timidly into the thick silence, as he slowly looked up to the frozen girl, who stared at Eric's motionless body, slumped to the floor, his limbs strewn about painfully in odd directions.

Her eyes went wide, tears began to stain the corners of her eyes, her heart racing in her chest, the erratic beats doing no such help to calm her nerves. She screamed at the tops of her lungs, her hands reaching up to hold her head, her whole body shaking erratically.

'_This wasn't happening.'_

'_He's dead.'_

'_Lifeless.'_

'_He killed him….'_

'_The demon killed him.'_

'_**I** killed him.'_

Suddenly, a warm wave of air encircled her shoulders, moving down to her arms as a voice cooed softly in her ear, calm, distant… if not sickeningly satisfied.

"_Don't worry, dear heart_." There was a pause, and Rosette could tell he was smiling. "_He won't be able to bother you anymore_."

At that moment, she felt something like a violin string snap within her.

It was no use.

No matter what she did, what would happen, he would always be there.

Everyone around her was in danger. More so now than ever. Eric hadn't even touched her… and he had killed him. The demon had killed him. _She_ had killed him.

With another agonizing scream, she suddenly bolted from her frozen position, disappearing down the halls and from the school, never once looking back. Her brother had tried to catch her until she made it off the school grounds, but by then, he had lost sight of her.

She was gone.

-

Hours upon hours have passed. Night had fallen, though the streets of the city, even through the slums, were dimly lit by street lights. Some were flickering in and out of death, some had simply been burnt out for ages, but no one had cared enough to change them.

Far into the city, where scarcely anyone dared to wander, a young girl sat in the shadows of a tiny alleyway, hiding behind an old, rusted tin trashcan. A few people had walked passed her, but paid no attention to her crying form.

Rosette didn't even know where she was anymore… somewhere in the slums, she knew. Far enough from home. But that didn't matter anymore… she didn't want to go back home. Back with Joshua, back with her only family, where she would expose him to her horrifying curse. The curse that had killed someone today, right before her very eyes.

"Why…" She whispered under her breath, lifting her head up from beneath her arms, her knees hugged tightly against her chest. Her eyes were stained as red as her tear-stained cheeks. Her life was slowly but surely… being torn apart.

"_Dear girl_," The voice of the demon whispered into her ear, but she no longer jumped, no longer became startled of his presence. Instead, she simply sat there, her face void of any emotion. It was almost like she was dead… staring into nothingness. "_Does the death of that boy still haunt you? I thought you held no compassion for him_."

She didn't reply, but only blinked as a few raindrops hit her face, mixing with her drying tears. "I hated him." She spoke quietly after minutes of silence.

"_Then why do you cry?"_

"Because he's dead."

This made the demon pause in curiosity. This didn't make any sense. "_Why do you care if he is dead? He almost harmed you_."

"That doesn't make it right to kill." She replied softly, her voice still barely a whisper. "Chrno…?"

He didn't answer, but she knew he was listening.

"Tell me… Do you think you are protecting me?"

There was a long pause again. "…_Yes. I won't allow another to touch you_."

"You don't understand…" Her tone became an octave high while she strained to keep more tears in check. "What you did back there… that hurt me more than any punch Eric could have thrown at me."

"…_I don't understand_."

She smiled faintly, a melancholy laugh echoing through the dark alley. "Of course you don't. You're a demon…"

Another long silence passed between them, as she continued to stare blankly at the wall in front of her, the rain beginning to pick up and now began to soak into her hair and clothes.

"Rosette?"

She didn't move. She didn't even blink. At first, she thought it was the demon again, but then she realized the tone was different… and it no longer had an otherworldly echo. Slowly, she looked off to her side, back towards the street where she saw a pair of brown leather shoes standing before her. And steadily, she gazed upwards, her eyes still horribly red.

Yuan almost dropped his umbrella once he saw how terrible the young girl looked, huddled in a dark corner, shivering from the cold (Though she hadn't noticed), her cheeks and eyes bloodshot from crying. "Rosette… what happened?" He asked with concern, dropping to his knees and letting go of his suitcase and umbrella as he placed both hands on her shoulders.

The moment he came in contact with her, her eyes went wide, and she squirmed away, scooting against the dirt and grime that coated the dingy alley. "N-no…don't touch me…" She whispered, looking up at him with fear. "Then you'll….you too…."

But to her surprise, the man persisted, bending down to hoist her up in his arms, helping her stand. Without a word, he dusted the front of her shirt and pants off, before grabbing his umbrella and handing it to her.

"Let's get you cleaned up." He said softly, and lead her out of the darkness.

-

Oh noes! I'm afraid I'm making Remi a little too nice. Hm… oh well. That'll probably change next chapter.

This chapter is dedicated to Autumn Dragon, who's fallen ill with the flu, but is kind enough to continue to review. I hope you feel better, Autumn!

Zoey


	5. Promise

Chappie 5. Yup. Took a little longer than expected.

On a more interesting note, Prinder had some interesting questions concerning the last chapter, which I'm more than happy to shed some light to.

_1. Why, of all of the times for it to happen, when Rosette says that he doesn't kill, Chrno just does it with only the slightest provocation? I'm going to guess that it has a lot to do with him not being able to understand Human rules of conduct and law, that, or he just wasn't listening to Rosette's sermon._

The reason Chrno acted so harshly after Rosette said he's never killed anyone (I may add that was added for some dramatic irony), was simply because the night before, the two made a connection that humans and demons don't normally make. They spoke. For Chrno, that made him even more possessive of her, hence why it didn't take much for him to kill Eric.

_2. Why didn't Chrno attempt to maul Remington for touching "his Rosette" in the alley? I'm going to make another guess and say that it had something to do with the fact that Chrno may not have been able to help her that way, but she needed to get out of the rain and dry and in a relatively safe place._

Sure, we know Chrno doesn't like Remington. But while they were in the alley, Rosette told him that simply because he doesn't like what someone's doing, doesn't make it right for him to kill. He was confused, but because Rosette collapsed emotionally after the death of someone she didn't like in the least, Chrno took that comment to heart. It may not seem like it just yet, but he does share a small amount of compassion for her, and doesn't like to see her in so much pain. So he's trying to calm his rage whenever someone touched _'his'_ Rosette, but... I wonder how long that will last. XD

Thanks everyone, for all of your wonderful reviews!!

Chrno Crusade © Daisuke Moriyama

-

-- Chapter 5 --

_Withstanding_

She sat down on the padded couch with a warm towel blanketed across her shoulders, and a hot cup of tea in hand. She still continued to wear the same emotionless expression on her face, dazing off into space as Remington walked into the room, carrying another towel.

"Here you go, Rosette." He said warmly, handing her the white fluffy cloth which she took without make eye contact with him.

Yuan sat down in the chair across from the young girl, folding one leg over the other as he waited. A grandfather clock down the hall in his apartment was the only sound that echoed through the walls, the only thing disrupting the disturbing silence. It was probably ten minutes before she finally spoke up, her voice cracking in her throat, obviously strained from crying.

"….He killed someone today, you know." She said in barely a whisper, not moving an inch as she stared down into her cup of tea.

"…._He_?" The man asked, his voice careful and calm.

"The demon."

He sighed softly, placing both hands in his lap as he contemplated on something to say.

"…I shouldn't be here." She managed in a strained voice. Her companion looked up at her with a bit of confusion, and surprise.

"Why is that?"

"Because," She gazed up at him, their blue eyes meeting each other in a distant stare. "He could kill you too."

"I'm keeping my distance, Miss Christopher. The demon shouldn't be provoked." He said truthfully, seeming completely calm sitting next to the girl that was given the title, 'The Possessed'.

"…..He said he doesn't like you."

There was a short pause as Yuan suddenly looked concerned, and a little startled. "Your demon… it _spoke_ to you?"

"…Yes."

"When was this?"

"Last night, after I came home from visiting you." She whispered, and felt the same unnerving cold whisp of air along her arm. By now, now that her mind has receded into a state most would call insane, she was able to feel that the chilling sensation meant the demon didn't like her topic of conversation.

For a long while he became lost in deep thought, a curious expression upon his face, not to mention concern. Demons rarely ever spoke to their Contractors… Why would this one? "What did it say?"

"…..He said he was going to protect me. That I was his." She spoke softly, a small tinge of remembrance in her eyes. "…And that you were a Minister."

Yuan's eyes widened considerably at that comment, his face turning pale as he obviously tensed in his seat. "…I was." He admitted slowly. "But that was a long time ago." Too long ago. Why would a demon be able to recall something so far in the past… Unless it was important, demons rarely remembered humans because of their insignificance. "Rosette… did the demon…. Happen to give you its name?"

Though he had asked, he sincerely doubted it. A demon revealing its name to a human, it's nearly unheard of, mostly because of old traditional reasons. Human ears weren't allowed to hear their name, and a lot of times, their voice. Not to mention, see them, but from what the young girl said, she hasn't seen the true form of her demon.

"His name?" She asked quietly, looking up at the taller man without any change in her expression. "…He said his name was… _Chrno_."

From just behind the young girl, it seemed as though her demon was grinning cruelly, as the former Minister's face paled considerably again. Only this time, his hands gripped the chair so tightly, one could have sworn he was about to tear the fabric, and a small trail of sweat appeared on his temples.

"Get out." Yuan spoke darkly, his eyes narrowing at the young girl as if she had committed the utmost vile crime. "_Get out_. **_Now_**."

"Yuan…" For the first time since she came here, her voice and expression showed concern, as if his pained voice had snapped her out of her current emotionless state.

"_GET OUT NOW_!" He roared, standing to his feet, his eyes wild with fury, making her jump. Hesitantly, she slid off the couch, quickly making her way to the front door, without looking back.

She left, the door closing harshly behind her, the former Minister still watching the area where she was sitting in. for a moment his eyes began to shine gold, his teeth gritting together painfully as he clenched his fists. "_Sinner Chrno_…" He whispered. "_So you've made your move again…."_

-

Rosette continued to run down the street, her semi-dry clothes getting soaked again in the pouring rain. It was night already… probably around midnight, considering the position of the moon in the sky. And the temperature was dropping… whether it was because of the rain, or her demon angered at the response Remington gave her, she didn't know. All she knew is that if she stayed out here much longer, she'd get sick.

By now her chest was heaving, her heart racing a mile a minute as she continued to run, searching for the familiar apartment building she called home. She needed to be safe, warm… because the only person she thought could comfort her in this time of need, had thrown her out.

She never knew Yuan could be so… _furious_.

Though at the time she was in a dark state of mind for the entire conversation with him, she could remember most of it clearly. It was obvious he had met Chrno before… and his hatred for the demon seemed as strong, if not stronger, than Chrno's.

As if things could get more complicated.

Panting, the young girl stepped forward, looking up to the aged building before her, rain stinging her eyes. She was home… but could she really go back? After what had happened… will she be responsible for murder? And what of Joshua? They've lived together their whole lives and Chrno never made a move to harm him, but… he also never killed anyone either before today. She had no idea what was going on in her demon's mind….

"_Go on_," The familiar voice whispered in her ear, but it was no longer laced with the certain cruel amusement it usually brought. It was quiet… almost solemn.

"I can't." Her voice cracked in her strained throat, tears mixing in with the endless rain that stained her cheeks. "I'm scared…"

"_Scared of what, dear heart_?"

"Of what might happen…" She paused, taking in a shallow breath. "To Joshua… to me…"

"_Your brother has never shown any hostility towards you. I will not harm him_."

"How can I be sure…" She whispered, her gaze casting down to the sidewalk at her feet.

"… _I suppose you can't. I am a demon, after all_." There was a pause, before his tone changed again. "_He is close to your heart. Any harm I do to him, will be done to you. And I promised I would protect you_."

Silence fell upon them again, and the young girl looked back up to the apartment, still hesitant. "You never once thought that when you killed Eric today…"

"…_Your human emotions are confusing_." He whispered, sounding mystified. "_Why would someone you have no regard for, cause you this much pain_?"

"Because…" She frowned, her voice lowering. "There is always someone out there that will grieve…"

"R-Rosette?!"

Before the demon could respond, she looked up, surprised to find Joshua standing out at the entrance of the apartment, clothes quickly getting soaked in the heavy rain, his eyes wide and tinted red, an obvious sign he had been crying.

Not a moment later, the young boy ran towards her, flinging his arms around his older sister tightly, as if he would never let go. "Neesan….Neesan!" He hiccupped, burying his face in her shoulder. With a careful gaze, she brought her arms up to gently return the hug, before more tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Joshua…" She whispered, clinging to him just as tight, before falling to her knees, bringing her brother down with her into the wet pavement.

"I-I was so s-scared…. You wouldn't c-come back…!" Joshua cried, shaking as he cried into her soaked shirt. "Th-that the ghost had killed you too…"

She frowned, staring ahead at nothing in particular, pain washing over her expression. He knew nothing of what had happened to her the past few days… her brother, her only family. The person she cared about the most.

And yet she knew, she couldn't tell him.

"I'm sorry…" She whispered, holding him close. "I'm sorry I made you worry…" She gently ran her hand through his hair, trying her best to comfort him. She could only imagine what he was going through when she left… all he could do was wait. "Let's get inside before we catch a cold."

Her little brother could only nod, before they both slowly got up to her feet, his hand wrapping around hers tightly as they walked inside, sheltering themselves from the rain and cold.

"You know…" Joshua whispered as they walked through the door to their assigned room number. "The entire school was in an uproar when you left… It was closed as soon as the paramedics came to take Eric to the hospital."

She fell silent, staring at the ground once her hand left his, only to wrap her arms around herself in a shaken manner. "It didn't help much, did it?"

"…What didn't?"

"Eric died." She spoke softly. "He was dead the moment he hit the wall."

"….There hasn't been any news of his condition." He paused, sounding solemn. "But he didn't look good."

"He told me." She took in a shallow breath, looking up at him hesitantly. "My…. Ghost told me. He was dead."

The blond boy looked over at her with astonishment, a mix of fear and surprise washing over his face. "…It talked to you?"

"Yes… " Was all she could muster, afraid that more questions would follow. She couldn't tell him his only sister was bound to a demon, and one day, that demon would take her life…

It was obvious he wanted to ask more, but he could tell by the look on her face, she didn't want to reveal much. "Alright." He spoke quietly. "It's really late… why don't you change and go to bed. We can talk in the morning, if you want to."

She smiled warmly and nodded, giving him one last hug before kissing him on the cheek, and walking towards her room.

She wanted to tell him so badly… she wanted to be able to have someone she can trust to be able to talk to. She was scared… and somehow, she could tell things were only about to get worse.

Quietly, she stripped down, throwing her sopping wet clothes in the hamper by the door, and began to dry off her hair with a towel. It was really pouring outside…. And she still felt cold. She hoped she didn't already catch something… that's defiantly not something she wanted on top of all this.

She slipped into bed, shivering as she pulled the blankets up to her chin, turning over to her side to bring her legs close to her body.

A warm gentle breeze brushed over her cheek, making her eyes flutter open in vague awareness.

"_Don't worry, dear heart_." Her demon spoke softly in her ear, using a tone she was almost certain she never heard him use. It was almost…. Kind. "_I won't let anything happen to you_."

She simply shivered more, turning her head into her chest as the warm air continued to dance upon her skin in an oddly soothing manner. A few moment passed, and what happened next… startled her so badly, that her entire body froze, unable to move.

She felt not the warmth of air upon her cheek. She felt skin.

"Ch…Chrno?" She whispered, her voice shaking as her body failed to move despite her mind screaming at it to.

"_I'm here for you_." He said softly, but for some reason… it wasn't as if he was speaking from beyond another realm. She could hear exactly where his voice was coming from. And it was right beside her bed. "_You don't need to be scared anymore. I'll always be right here….beside you_."

His hand moved from her face tenderly, before slowly resting upon her own hand that lay right beside her chest. She was frozen, so immensely shocked that she was still unable to move. Though through the darkness, she looked down at her hands… and was able to see, just barely the shape of a human-like hand. It was a good deal larger than hers, easily covering both of her fists – but that wasn't what scared her. At the end of each finger, were deadly, razor-sharp talons.

"Wh-what…?" She whispered, her voice shaking almost as bad as her body was. "Ch-Chrno…"

"_Don't be afraid_." He whispered, his breath lightly ticking her ear as she blushed brightly, her heart pounding loudly in her chest. Never… never had she thought that this demon would have a physical form…she had never once thought that there was even a chance, he would reveal something like this.

She felt his hand gently squeeze hers, trying his best to comfort her. And even though she couldn't see him… she knew he was constantly watching her. Slowly, she felt his breath move downwards to her neck, making her shiver despite herself, but it was no longer in fear. Her stomach churned oddly at the sensation, gasping as she felt warm lips press against the skin of her neck, her eyes widening in shock.

"_Sleep well, Rosette_." He whispered, as suddenly, the young girl felt her eyelids grown heavy, and she found herself struggling to stay awake. Not again…the same warm, comforting sensation spread throughout her body, forcing her to do nothing but accept the intrusive spell he had put her under once more.

"Chrno…" Was the last thing she whispered before she dozed off, sleep taking her now still form.

And as she rested, the demon stayed by her side, watching over her until the break of dawn.

-

Whoowee! Got a little hot in there for a moment. XD Poor Rosette… Chrno is getting so unpredictable.

And yay! I made sure that nice streak of Remi's was brutally shattered. Looks like there's more to him than meets the eye… kukukuku.

Until next chapter!

Zoey


	6. The Summoning

OMGWTFBBQ!!!11!one?

WHUT? Zoey actually updated? It's been like, what…. Two years? Okay, maybe not that long. Still a long time.

So yeah, I've neglected my Chrno Crusade fandom for quite some time, but I know it will never go away. Obsessions come and go, but CC is something that will always be a joy for me. And that's probably the ONLY reason why I was able to pick this project up again.

Though I'm none too please with the poor writing of the first five chapters, and the first half or so of this one, so you may end up seeing some renovation being done here. Myeeeeeeeeeeeah…. Maybe.

Hope you enjoy ;D

Chrno Crusade © Daisuke Moriyama

----------------------------------

Soft footsteps echoed through the dark hall, the dingy stone walls decorated with ivy and creeping moss. There was no light, as if this hidden layer was deep underground, void from the sun and any other inhabitants.

"_Patefacio_." A dark voice spoke in the darkness, the footsteps drifting silent. A small glow began to emanate from the center of the room at the end of the hallway, coming from a large glass orb of sorts. Long intertwining gold stems that encased the glass began to recede, twisting and turning before it finally disappeared into the floor, the light within growing brighter. At last the speaker's for became apparent, his short blond hair and blue eyes gleaming in the soft blue glow.

"_Dux Ducis, Dufaux_." The man smirked, looking up into the sphere as the light wavered, a transparent image of a tall humanoid demon coming into view. Long outstretched black wings shared the same color as his leather-bound attire, as well as his short hair. By the shape of his upturned black horns, it was evident that he was powerful, and one of the eldest of his kind. "It's been a long time, old comrade."

The demon's image within the sphere acknowledged the other man's presence. His red eyes opened, before placing a fist over his chest. "Ah, Minister Remington. How kind of you to keep in touch after the Great War."

Yuan laughed softly, shaking his head as he returned the gesture, his own fist placed over his chest in a salute. "I am no longer a Minister, Dufaux. Retired, nowadays… Times change. How long since your last visit to earth?"

"Ah…" The tall demon grinned in remembrance. "Must be close to three hundred years now. I will be taking a Contractor in the next decade should my power begin to diminish. But I know you haven't summoned me for idle chit-chat. What do you need, Remington?"

A long silence fell in the large stone clad room, as the former Minister's teeth clenched visibly.

"….He has returned." The man's eyes narrowed with burning rage, his voice clearly depicting the livid aura around him. "Sinner Chrno has made his move. He's had a Contractor for about sixteen years now."

Dufaux raised his eyebrows in surprise, bringing a hand up to his chin. "Well now…So soon? It hasn't even been a hundred years…"

"Ninety, to be precise." Yuan responded with a firm tone. "I'm sure he knows Earth is a safer place to hide…I never would have found him had his Contractor not consulted me for help."

"Really? I thought you've discarded your ways for helping humans."

"I've joined the remains of the Magdalene Order, I work under the paranormal investigators. My choice resulted from boredom, mostly… but I also hoped that I may get a lead on the last Sinner. Looks like it finally paid off." The man grinned with self-satisfaction.

"I suppose you're still in New York, then?" Dufaux folded his arms at the front of his chest with a cocky grin. "Well, you have to be since you've been restricted by the Queen…"

"Amazing how even her death hasn't stopped that damned curse…Only four hundred more years though, and I will be free once again."

The demon laughed deeply, shaking his head. "Yuan, Yuan, Yuan… It is you who has cursed yourself. If you had never taken her offer, you wouldn't be bound."

"If I hadn't taken her offer, I would still be restricted by the limitations of this world." The man's eyes narrowed. "This is irrelevant… I assume you will ready the signal?"

Dufaux nodded, saluting once more to the blond man that stood firmly before him. "We will destroy the Sinner this time, old comrade. But do not let your human emotions get the better of you like they did last time…"

"I am lead, but not blinded by revenge." Yuan replied strongly. "I am offering my help, no matter the circumstances of the past."

"True," The demon grinned, as his form began to waver in the dimming light from inside the sphere. "I shall contact you when the time is right."

"I'll be waiting."

And with that, the light faded, leaving the room once again in a blanket of darkness.

--Chapter 6 --

_The Summoning_

"Neesan…"

Rosette stirred under her blankets, the dark blue sheets bundled up close to her head, her bare feet sticking out at the bottom. She groaned loudly, wriggling away closer to the wall as her little brother attempted to shake her.

"C;mon Neesan, we're both going to be late for school!" Joshua whined, trying to pry the comforter off the blonde's head, but her grip was too strong.

"I'm not going to school." She said with a muffled voice from beneath her protection.

"Yes you are. I even made your favorite breakfast for you!" He tempted her, a huge smile spread across his face as he poked her side.

She just groaned loudly again, obviously swayed by the bribe of food, but stayed put.

And that obviously scared Joshua.

"R-Rosette, come on…" He sighed, sitting down by her side on the cushioned bed before gently prying at the covers. "If you won't go to school…. Can you at least tell me what happened yesterday?"

There was a long silence, as the young girl contemplated what to say. "I already told you." She replied defiantly, though her voice was small.

Her little brother frowned, before sighing softly and staring at the door to her room with a defeated expression. "You know…" He said softly. "It wasn't your fault."

He could hear feel her shiver a bit, her voice cracking. "Yes it was. This ghost… is a part of me."

"You're only going to dig yourself deeper if you think like that!" He shot back defiantly. "Rosette… this damned spirit is tearing you apart. Have you ever thought of an exorcism?"

Rosette frowned, hearing a dark laugh echo in her ears. She knew that her brother didn't hear didn't hear Chrno when he made no surprised gesture at another voice in the room with them. "I…" She spoke quietly, leaning up and pulling the covers off her face. "…Don't think that'll work."

"Well you don't know until you try."

"No…I really don't think it will work." She grimaced. "He's… far too powerful."

"And how do you know that? For all we know, he'd disappear if we dunk you in Holy Water!" He fumed, having grown far angrier at the term 'he'. It's bad enough to know his older sister is being haunted by a vengeful spirit, but now that there's evidence that it's a guy… that pissed him off.

Another echo of laughter his Rosette's ears at the blond boy's comment.

"_You can try all you want_." Chrno spoke darkly, his voice only audible for his Contractor. "_Go on, it might be fun…"_

She began breathing heavily, gritting her teeth as she closed her eyes, trying to drown out his voice. "Shut up…" She whispered, her voice barely audible.

"_Ahh, perhaps you could try another Blessed cross? I think that first one actually made me lift a finger_."

"Shut up…!"

"_I think it'd be a joy to see what local exorcists would come up with…Play with them a little_…"

"You sadistic bastard!!" Rosette nearly screamed at the top of her lungs, gripping the sheets at her sides tightly in her fists. Joshua jumped, looking at her like she had grown a third eye. "Stop toying with me! _I'm sick of it_!!"

"N-Neesan…" He gently brought up a hand towards his sister, before she jolted to her feet, sliding off her bed, tears staining her eyes.

"You said you wanted to protect me?!" She screamed into the air, her knuckles turning white from the pressure. "_Then protect me from yourself!!! I can't TAKE this anymore_!!"

Joshua watched her with wide eyes as she stomped through her door, grabbing a long jacket that hung over an old wooden chair in the hallway.

"All those pretty words of wanting to shield me, of trying to make me think you were starting to understand what I was going through…" She muttered under her breath, her voice shaking as she attempted to keep her tears and anger down as she slid on the jacket over her pajamas.

"Neesan!" Her brother yelled, running out into the hallway and reaching out, grabbing her wrist. "What's wrong? Come on, tell me!"

Her eyes widened as she was pulled to a stop, her body freezing as she felt a warm whisp of air travel across her arm in feeble attempt to calm her.

"_STOP_ IT!!" She screamed, wrenching out of the boy's grip to rake her nails across the part of her skin where she had felt the warmth, leaving dark red welts in their path. "Go back to Hell where you came from!!"

She pivoted on her heels, running for the door at the front of the apartment, Joshua following close behind as he tried to grab her again. "Neesan!!" He called out desperately as she ran out the door, tailing her. But she was much faster than him, even without the fact that he had an illness that already made him much weaker for someone his age.

And just as he made it to the bottom of the stairwell, she stopped in her tracks, standing on the sidewalk. "I'm sorry, Joshua," She turned to him, a pained and confused expression upon her face. "I'll be back…. I just… need to be alone for a while." Her eyes lowered to the ground, and with that, she bolted, leaving her brother panting at the bottom of the stairs, staring at where she was standing not a moment ago.

Slowly, he placed a hand to his chest, still breathing heavily as he carefully sat himself down to the ground, his head hanging.

"Rosette…" He whispered, voice small as his eyes welled up with fresh tears. "What's happening to you…?"

-

With the sun hanging low in the sky, creeping up from the horizon on the city below, the streets and sidewalks steadily became packed with cars and people running to and from their jobs. New York was always like this, even in the outskirts of the city, which Rosette was grateful for. Everyone was so concerned with work, that they didn't pay any mind to the quiet teen still dressed in her pajamas out in broad daylight.

She knew she wasn't helping her brother at all by leaving… but she didn't want to be under the pressure of his watching eye when her demon nearly made her snap with fury.

"I hate you." She hissed under her breath, hands stuffed in her pockets as she bumped shoulders in to people she'd never met.

"_That's the sixteenth time you've told me that_." Came a bored voice from somewhere around her. "_Honestly, I forgot how high strung women could be…Next time I'll be sure to make a Contract with a male_…"

She grit her teeth harder at that. "You think this is amusing?!" She screamed, making a few people walking past her give her an odd stare, wondering if she was mentally ill, especially since she was in her night clothes.

"_Mildly_." Came another bored tone. "_Teenage angst isn't exactly a thrill to endure_."

"I'm not angsting! I'm _FURIOUS_!" She yelled again, bringing her hands up to her hair and pulling it painfully, before flopping down onto a bench in a relatively uncrowned area. "One moment you're scaring me out of my pitiful life…" She hissed, through her voice was more quiet now, her eyes turning red. "The next, you make me think you're trying to comfort me, then you go and make sarcastic comments that aren't anything but cruel! Do you know how frustrating that is?!"

"_Rosette_…"

"Oh, don't even start with me again." Taking her hand and harshly scratching up her arm where she began to feel a warm breath of air. "I'm not some damned toy for you to play with. If you want to torture me, stab me, cut me, go ahead! Just don't play with my emotions like this…"

"_Rosette, I never meant to hurt you_…"

"You're doing a pretty damn good job for someone who seems so timid all of the sudden."

At that little comment she suddenly felt an icy shiver run up her spine, making her jump and sit upright in her seat with wide eyes and pale face.

"_You think this is easy for me, Miss Christopher_?" His voice steadily became darker, to the point where she began to hear a hint of anger, something she wasn't used to. "_Here I've been, protecting your sorry ass for over sixteen years! And if you haven't been counting, you were already written down in Death's Scroll three times! You'd be DEAD if it wasn't for me_!"

Rosette's hands latched to the bottom of the wooden bench she was on, as if it were shaking during an earthquake… which in all reality, it was starting to. Looking down to her feet, she saw a thin crack appear in the cement, the metal legs of the bench bending outwards.

"_I could have silenced you long ago. I could have taken your sanity by ways of unthinkable terror! Didn't you once stop to think why I haven't?!_"

She winced her eyes shut tightly, a stray tear rolling down her cheek as she huddled into herself, the crowd of people not three feet away from her suddenly flurrying into a panic about the rapidly increasing intensity of the 'earthquake' that continued to bore large streaming cracks into the cement and pavements of the roadway.

"You're impossible…" Rosette hissed under her breath, appearing more under the influence of anger now, more than anything else. "You suddenly start preaching to me that your actions hide ulterior motives…well how the Hell am I supposed to read you, Chrno?!" Her voice rose to nearly a scream, but it was quickly drowned out it the multitudes of other cries of surprise that stemmed from the sudden quake. "You've done nothing but tear me apart for sixteen years… you've made me into an outcast….a _freak_…. Nearly every time you open your mouth, you scare me within an inch of my life…. And to top it all off, you're a _murderer_!" She grit her teeth harshly, her fingers digging painfully into the wooden bench, unaware that the 'earthquake' that had stemmed from the furious demon was slowly dissipating. "No Chrno, I _don't_ understand why you haven't simply killed me since I've been such a nuisance. If you think that's so damn important, stop playing my emotions like it's a game, and _TELL ME_!"

Not seconds after the weight of her words set in, the earth reduced it's frightening roar to a mere quiver… and soon, the earthquake had faded altogether. Silence was all that met Rosette's ears for minutes, despite the uproar that dominated every crowd in the park.

"_Rosette…"_ Chrno's voice finally spoke quietly, more than hesitant to give her much more of a reply than a defeated tone of her name.

"You're like a child with a machine gun." She hissed, negating any chance he had of continuing. "You have such power over me… over _anyone_…. And the only thing you've done is swing it around like that's the only damn thing you can do."

The silence that met her ears quickly told her she had hit a nerve. Or the closest thing a demon would have to nerves.

She had figured that Chrno was so used to seeing her react this way towards other people who test her anger – and that every time he had interacted with her only left her in the repetitive state of a quivering puppy. In other words, he must just be confused…. Like Hell he was actually taking that comment to heart.

"I know I've been useless lately." She broke the silence between them, though her words were almost drown out by the sirens that engulfed the area. How the tremor that resulted from the demon's outburst had affected people injury-wise, she had no clue, and she wasn't about to turn around and find out until she got a solid answer. "Every time you talk to me, I shrink back and let you toy with me. If you can't already read me, I'm scared to _death_ of you, Chrno. But I'll be damned if I continue letting you have your way with me. You want a game? Then you've got one Hell of an opponent." With that, she stood up roughly from her seat on the now crooked bench, and walked solidly in the general direction of her apartment.

And it wasn't long before she finally got more than a broken record of her name from the demon.

"_You're so stubborn…. You always have been_." The simple reply wasn't exactly what she was expecting,

"_I'm_ the one who's stubborn… great." Her words dripped with venom, obviously still fueled by her anger. "Nice deduction, Dr. Phil. While you're at it, why don't you tell me exactly what the Hell that makes you?"

Another pause between them. Rosette halted momentarily as she came up to a crosswalk, having to wait in a small crowd of people for the light to change – and she wasn't quite aware of the stares she was getting from her attire.

"… _A fool." _

Blue eyes blinked in a sort of shock, leaving the blond pajama-clad teen standing there as a rush of people filtered around her, walking out into the street as the light turned green.

"…What?" Her voice cracked slightly, drowning in both confusion and surprise. That certainly wasn't what she was expecting…. Not that it wasn't already blatantly obvious the demon was anything but routine with his responses.

"_I've never been able to understand humans…."_ His soft tenor voice hinted something akin to shame. _"Forgive me."_

She could tell there was more he wanted to say, but it wasn't her place to pry. If anything, they were flirting with improvement, and she wasn't about to lose that.

"Well, then…" Her lips curled into a tiny smile, barely there at all – now aware that the light had changed again, and she found herself in another small crowd of people, waiting to cross. "I guess I'll just have to teach you proper human etiquette."

She could almost feel the discomfort that radiated from him, hesitant and wary. It took her a few seconds, but as the crowd around her moved to the street, she followed….. and her eyes widened.

The reason why Chrno had no idea how to read her emotions, is because he had always held himself in the proper hierarchy – demons held so much power over humans, so of course they were essentially 'above' them. In all reality, humans were essentially 'food' for demons, supplying them with energy and power. The situation between them wasn't much unlike how a wolf would socialize with a mouse. But his hesitance and growing concern meant Chrno _was_ actually trying to understand her – her emotions, her thought process, even her lifestyle. It would almost be cute, had the situation not been so dire….. and had Chrno not already proven himself to be an otherwise murderous, temper-prone, possessive epitome of terror. Well, for the most part.

Thought she found herself just a tad relieved with her discovery, her overall mood didn't change much. She was still confused as to what exactly was going on in 'her' demon's mind. She was still furious with him for giving her a lifetime of torment. But most of all, she was still terrified of him. No matter how comfortable she may get with him…. Chrno was still a demon, a powerful being….he was still a killer, and she knew that eventually, he would kill her too.

Holding one arm to her side as she walked, rubbing it softly where she had raked across her skin in her emotional fit, she couldn't help but let her nervous state take hold of her once again. No, she wasn't going to let him push her around anymore…. But she just hoped the consequences wouldn't leave her in an even worse position.

-------------------------------

Hahahaaaa….. Yeah, I do think my recent fanfic projects left me with a bit of a different style. I'm oh so intrigued by the calculations of the human psyche….. and poor Rosette is really just too fun, going back and forth from her normal gung-ho, 'don't take shit from no one' attitude, and her grim realization that acting that way won't get her anywhere at this point in time. Oh how the human mind struggles against impending doom…. –Evil laugh-

Yes… anyway, don't be looking for an update for a while longer. There may be another chapter up next week, there might not. But I'm sure if I hear from enough people that they really enjoy the fic, I'll do my best and keep this project going – and hopefully, up with new chapters every week.

Ciao y'all

Zoey


	7. Absence

Pleasedon'tkillme D:

I know I've been a horrible authoress. And I've got dozens of excuses. I'm just too lazy to write them out.

Good news is, I found the outline I had been missing for quite some time, so now I hopefully won't get writers block near as bad anymore. I may even start to do weekly updates again. :3

For now, enjoy chapter seven! TwT

--------------------------------

Chapter 7

_Absence_

The following day was nothing short of hectic. Upon realization that Chrno's little 'outburst' had caused thousands of dollars worth of property damage, Rosette's already tangled state of mind was promptly ripped in half three times over. Though she felt responsible for causing so much destruction and injury that soon followed the quake, she knew there was nothing she could do… well, she could reprimand the demon like a dog that just tore up a leather sofa – but who the Hell would want to get in the direct line of fire of _his_ already sour mood? If his simple state of riled emotions could cause an _earthquake_, she wasn't sure she wanted to test him limitations of rage.

And of course Joshua came running home the second school let out, nearly tearing down the front door as he bolted in, both relieved and ticked to see his big sister sitting in the living room watching TV, safe and sound. After a few moments of Rosette's shaky and obviously fishy excuses for not coming to school, the younger sibling already leapt upon the incident of the earthquake.

And everyone knows Rosette Christopher absolutely _sucks_ at lying to her little brother.

So the following scene with her trying to break the news to Joshua that yes, she had a bit of a quarrel with her 'ghost' (She still refused to tell Joshua she was contracted to a demon – the poor boy would have a heart attack), and that whenever he gets mad, stuff will probably blow up. Of course she worded it a little nicer than that, but that still left Joshua with worry written all over his face, along with the possible manifestation of an ulcer. And thus began the very hesitant recollection of everything that happened in the past few days, earning Rosette another headache. It wasn't long before she finally gave up with her brother's pestering and begging for her to tell him exactly what's been going on with her – and she stormed off to her room, practically slamming the door shut. It wasn't like she was mad at Joshua (Though her actions stated otherwise)…. She just needed time to think. A lot. And probably angst a little since she was already going through the trouble of inner turmoil.

With a long, strained sigh, Rosette fell face-up onto her bed, brows furrowed in deep thought. Absentmindedly she looked over towards the window that sat above the end of her bed, thankful to see that the sun was still out. The last thing she needed was Chrno creeping her out again…. Which seemed to happen at night more often than not.

Her gaze slowly moved across the ceiling, breath irregular as she recalled different emotions, different struggles that she was currently dealing with, or ones she knew she would have to in the not so distant future. For one, Joshua mentioned that police had already filtered into school that day, asking for her. No doubt she'll be interrogated before week's end over Eric's death…. And just what was she going to tell them? She couldn't lie and say she had no idea what happened, and she couldn't tell them she _did_ know what happened. That would go over real well.

Another issue would be her brother. He lives with her, so it's going to only get more and more difficult to keep her already loosely kept 'secret' from him… should she go through the risk of telling him? Chrno had said once that he understood she loved Joshua, and that hurting him would only cause her pain.

She blinked, remembering the demon's exact words. He said that after she cried her eyes out for Eric. Maybe she was right…. Perhaps Chrno really _was_ trying to understand her. 'Trying' being the key word…

But even if it was safe to tell Joshua, what good would that do? He'd worry about her even more, if he knew the morbid reason the for the existence of a contract… though there was the chance he'd be relieved if he knew Chrno wasn't simply a mindless, vengeful spirit he's labeled him as. But was that even really worth it?

"You've made my life a living Hell." She mumbled, eyes melting into a half-hearted glare at the ceiling. "Isn't there anything you can do to make it a little more manageable?"

Silence.

Of course – he shuts up whenever the occasion arises that she asks him for a favor. Wonderful. Well, fat lotta good that did.

"Neesan?" Joshua's timid voice carried through the cherry wood door, muffled lightly by his soft knocking. "Are you okay? I'm really sorry I pried… please don't be mad…."

Rosette sighed again, brining up a hand to cover her eyes and forehead, feeling another headache coming on. "The door's open, Joshua." She replied simply. "Come on in. I'm not mad at you."

Her gesture was replied with the soft creaking of the door, and she felt her little brother's blue eyes fixate on her. "Neesan….." He whispered, before walking over solemnly and sitting beside her at her bed. "You can't keep sulking like this."

"I'm not sulking." She replied back as her hand drug down across her face in an irritated manner, before she placed it uselessly at her stomach. "What do you need?"

He was quiet for a moment, obviously searching for the right words. "You need to come to school tomorrow. You can't just run away from your life, you know."

"….. I know that." She admitted softly. All she had been doing lately was running away…. Most of all, she tried to avoid Chrno. At least now she knew running away wouldn't do any good…. "I just don't know what to do. I feel like my life's been turned upside down these past few days…. Nothing's been the same."

"Well, how about this?" The blond boy smiled as best her could, and squeezed her leg reassuringly. "Tomorrow after school, we can go look for an exorcist! We'll get rid of your ghost problem for you."

He offer was met with silence, as if Rosette was waiting for something. "No comment, _smart ass_?" She blurted out.

Joshua blinked. "Wh-what?"

She looked up, cheeks a little red as she realized she asked that out loud. She turned her head. "N-Nothing. I just… don't think that would work."

"Why not?"

"M 'ghost'….he's not….." She bit her lip fighting left and right in her mind for a few moments before deciding to change the direction of the conversation. "That's not what we need to be worrying about right now. I'll probably end up going to the station in the city with the police tomorrow. You know, for being Eric's murderer and all." She felt as though she was going to puke, to be able to say that so easily.

Her little brother blinked again. "Murderer?"

"You don't need to rub it in Joshua…" She whispered, feeling herself lean on the edge of tears again. But if she cried, she'd show weakness…. She couldn't.

"Eric's not dead." Joshua replied simply.

Another uncomfortable silence passed through the room.

"Wh-what?" Rosette practically scared her brother to death as she rose up, blue eyes as wide as dinner plates. "What do you _mean_ he's not dead?!"

Baby blue eyes met darker cerulean ones. "D-did…. You want him to die?" He asked quietly.

"N-no! Of course not! It's just…. He wasn't moving, and…. M-my ghost said he wouldn't bother me anymore and…" Her gaze moved almost frantically from her brother, to various objects around the room, her mind spinning. Wait a minute… '_Does his death still haunt me'_? '_Why do I care if he's dead'_? Chrno never actually stated strictly that Eric had died! That _rat bastard_!! All this time she had assumed the worse, because that was just the nature of her luck…. But he wasn't really dead!

"He was knocked unconscious for several hours, but they announced today at school that he's just suffered minor head trauma and a fractured wrist that apparently helps cushion the blow. Thankfully it wasn't his spine." Joshua pondered for a moment. "They said he took a blow to the…. The cer..curv…. Right here!" He pointed frantically to a part of his neck. "The Vulcan Death Grip!"

Rosette stared at him dumbfoundedly. "Joshua, for the love of god that's not even _real_."

"Yeah but it's kinda the same 'cause you know that one episode in Star Trek where Spock uses the Vulcan Death Grip on the captain – but it doesn't really kill him, it just made him faint or something, and-"

Rosette slapped a hand over his mouth, eye twitching. "That's enough Joshua, I understand. Don't start babbling to me about your unhealthy obsession with sci-fi movies."

"But that wasn't part of a movie! It was Star Trek, the original-"

She muffled his mouth again. "I don't wanna hear it." She said with a bit of a smile.

Eric wasn't really dead…. _Thank god_…..

Joshua pulled back and grabbed his sister's hand, looking determined as ever. "You're still going to school tomorrow you know!"

"Sure….whatever Joshua." She shook her head, shoving him off her bed with her feet. "Leave me alone. I'm going to take a shower."

Joshua laughed, but left without another word. At least he had gotten through to her, if only a little bit….

-----------------------

The next few days passed by without any serious incident, much to Rosette's surprise. She indeed was confronted by the police the moment she set foot in school, and questioned briefly. Thanks to the security cameras in the hallways though, she wasn't accused for Eric's injuries since it was as clear as day that she hadn't touched him the moment he careened into the wall - funny, there were still people trying to patch up the numerous cracks and chipped plaster. Maybe if she walked down that hallway enough, she could induce some guilt in her suddenly mute demon.

Like guilt had ever worked with him before. At least, as far as she's seen. He was still harder to read than her brother's AP calculus book.

Though over time, she began to noticeably worry when Chrno hadn't contacted her in three days. Anxiety got the best of her in many instances, her mind wandering to dangerous depths – after all, she had no idea if demons acted any different if they were about to take the life of their Contractors. But she kept her fears to herself, and never allowed her brother to worry about her. Well, more than usually anyway.

Returning home from a rather long work day, Rosette leisurely made her dinner, watched a sci-fi show with Joshua (Though for the most part she had no idea what was going on), and took a shower.

'_It almost feels like… I kind of have a normal life again_.' She thought wistfully to herself, knowing that her hopes would only leave her more disappointed than before. Walking into her room to change into her nightclothes, she laid down atop the covers of her bed, looking up at the ceiling as if she was intently searching for something.

"Hey…Chrno…." She said quietly, laying in complete silence for a few moments; but no reply came to her. She grumbled a bit, worry rising up in her chest again. She couldn't let this upset get the best of her…… maybe this was a good thing…

'_Yeah, wait a minute_….' The blond teen sat up straight, a look of sudden realization striking her features. _'If he's really not here…. Then he can't stop me from contacting Yuan…._'

She paused for a moment, wondering if she'd get herself in even deeper shit if she tried that.

"Well, the next best thing would be…" She looked around her room for a moment, as if readying herself for a reprimand – before she made her way to her dresser, and lifted up a few notebooks to find the book Yuan had given her during their visit. Picking it up slowly, she gently ran her fingers along the leather bindings, admiring it. "Daemonology…."

She walked over and sat back down on her bed, carefully opening up the first few pages of the old book, surprised that she didn't hear a protest from her demon. Chrno must really not be here… maybe the book would say something about it….

"Oh great." She grimaced, reading the contents page of the heavy book, immediately noticing her setback. "Some of this is Old English. At least I can read most of it…"

Flipping to a random page, she noticed that there were many inked drawings, depictions of demons, priests and relics that included captions and information. Something about sub-races of demons… creatures called "Legion", as well as blessed crosses and holy water that could rid them. Among the earliest drawings showed a hideous creature with multiple eyes along its large, deformed body that loomed over a man. "Most demons are ghastly creatures, with animal-like frames, and sometimes possess more attributes than normal – such as eyes, limbs, or even heads." She read aloud, cringing at the thought. For a moment she was glad she'd never seen Chrno… he probably looked something like the ink renderings in the book…. And they weren't pretty. Ah, wait… there was something else here…

"Though only in theory, demons are thought to be more powerful the closer they are to having a human form." She fumbled with the words, having to re-read some of the text now and then from the dated spelling. "Legends tell of a handful of demons that could nearly pass as humans in appearance. These few were said to terrorize entire lands for hundreds of years, and destroy entire civilizations." She paused, squinting at the words. "God, and I thought Chrno was bad. Next thing this will be telling me is that they all came from outer-space…"

For about another twenty minutes, she quickly scanned pages, stopping to read a few in detail if a handful or words caught her attention. Most of the content contained comprehensive information of the same basic concept Yuan had already told her, along with myths and legends that went with every theory humans could come up with – most of which lingering along the lines of tall tales.

"The Rebellion Age?" She whispered, tracing her fingers along the text, a sort of religious seal burned into the paper beside the title.

_Thousands of years after Pandemonium had sealed its reign over earth, a war began to rage within the depths of their world. During this time, the number of Contractors declined drastically… and soon, we, of the human race, learned of the bloodshed – and inevitably, the deaths of quite possibly, millions of demons. And since we are of no power against the hellspawn, only a handful of theories were anyway near logical. Either a pandemic raged within their species…. Or demons were killing their own kind, but for what reason?_

_Needless to say, my research met endless dead ends. The only reliable amount of information I received over my years of excavation was about the __Primoris Prognatus, the first generation borne from Pandemonium herself. These are of the most powerful of their kind… and the only ones with enough strength to defy their mother, and their world. But if this legend would lead us to the answer we seek… the human race will have little hope. Even with the declining number of demons, bloodshed will climb ten fold if the fabled First Borne are indeed here upon our earth…_

_- Edward D. Hamilton_

"Hamilton…." Rosette repeated softly, flipping back to the introductory page. "He's one of the authors… didn't realize some of his original notes were in here. Is this a journal?"

Scanning the next few pages, she realized that there were indeed quite a few detailed records that Hamilton had written down himself; some of them half-written notes of flawed theories, but others clearly held an air of confidence. Either this man thoroughly thought these stories out, or he heard them from a source of than himself.

… _Though know one knows just who has been host to the harbinger twins over the thousands of years, the fact that demons in England – and quite possibly in the entire world – have been diminishing still is proof enough they're still alive. Mæl, the eldest, has been thought to be behind the fall of many ancient civilizations, while his younger brother feasts upon the life force of humans, and grows ever stronger… horrifyingly so. I have fear that not even our gods could stop them if they dare bring upon us our own apocalypse._

_The Rebellion Age had been mankind's last glimmer of hope. But if Sæl is indeed out among the last remaining demons, our fate has been forever sealed._

"_Lest Time cease, the Age ahead may be the scythe that will forever seal the earth."_

"Mæl …Sæl… Are those names in Old English?" Rosette pondered out loud, fingering the page at the right. She had no idea that people actually knew names of some of these demons… granted they were more infamous than the rest supposedly, but it still was amazing in its own sense. Yuan had told her that a demon will refuse, and avoid practically all contact with their human host nowadays – and one speaking to a human was unheard of. So how did this author know all of this?

"Maybe he's off his rocker…" She mumble, and turned the page – before a deathly chill ran up her spine, and the temperature dropped to a dangerous low within her room. In an instant, the book she was grasping was flung out of her hands and across her room, making a loud cracking noise as the wooden spine broke against the wall.

"_What have I told you…."_ Came the familiar, deadly tone of the demon that haunted her. "_About affiliating with that priest…"_

"I was just reading a book!" Rosette gasped, her voice coming out as barely a whisper due to her shaken state .A part of her was relieved that Chrno had made contact with her, after three days of silence… but the fact that he reacted so suddenly, even after she had been reading for quite a while, meant that he really wasn't with her during that time. "I'm curious about your kind….what it was like hundreds of years ago…"

"_That information will serve you no purpose."_ There was a deep, threatening growl beneath his voice, making needles crawl along her skin. _"Do not touch that book again. I won't be so forgiving next time."_

Silence was her reply, arms and legs quivering as she pressed her back against the headboard of her bed, the familiar feeling of hopelessness drowning her thoughts again. She wanted to be more defiant… she wanted to defend herself more… but every time she hears his voice, feels the chill of his anger, she feels her resolve vanish right before her. Words got caught in her throat as she tried to speak, and soon, she gave up trying altogether.

But much to her surprise, the temperature slowly returned to normal, much quicker than she expected.

"Chrno…?" She whispered quietly, slightly startled to hear her own voice.

"_Go to sleep, Rosette."_ Came his reply, the tone bordering along an order. _"I did not mean to frighten you."_

The blue-eyed teen slowly lowered her arms back down to a comfortable position, no longer needing to hold herself for warmth. He was doing it again…. Lashing out in anger, then retreating back as soon as he wounds her. She couldn't tell if he was honestly trying to understand her, help her cope, or if he was simply toying with her again.

"You were gone for three days, weren't you?" She asked quietly.

No reply.

"If you were here, you would have stopped me from picking up the book altogether."

"_That is none of your concern."_ His velvet voice hissed, but it was obvious his anger was being held in check.

"Chrno, this is _my_ life you're toying with." She replied defiantly, gritting her teeth as her hands gripped the comforter of her bed. "It's damn well my concern. Not to say I wasn't relieved to live three days of somewhat normalcy, but I want to know what you were doing."

Again, no reply. He always does seem to shut up whenever she _wants_ him to talk.

"Were you killing people?"

"_Rosette…"_

"Don't you _dare_ try that with me again. I want an answer." Cerulean eyes glared towards the ceiling.

"_Rosette, go to sleep."_

"Chrno, I want-!" She was cut off abruptly as something grabbed hold of her arm and neck, turning her around and pushing her down on her stomach as the light on her nightstand flickered out. She breathed in a horrified gasp, startled so bad she froze, feeling the cold, invisible pressure along her back, pinning her down. "Ku-…"

"_I do not wish to be forceful with you, dear heart."_ The demon's voice growled in her ear, firm and deadly as it had been before. _"But I do believe you're beginning to forget your situation… I am not your __**pet**__, I will not give into your whims. Your life is held so delicately in my hands… I suggest you rethink your demands before you raise your voice to me."_

Her jaw quivered, tears stinging her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She hated the fact that he could frighten her into submission so easily…. Rosette Christopher bent to no one's will…

"I hate you." Came her defiant reply, but her words were dripping with surrender.

"_Of course you do."_ The pressure along her body lifted, allowing her to move. _"Now go to sleep."_

She pulled her comforter over her, and did her best to obey his words, closing her eyes though her heart beat faster from anticipation. How could he do this to her, and simply order her to sleep…

After minutes of silence, she felt a warm sensation along her arm and back, like a comforting wave.

"_Do you wish for me to help?"_ His voice was oddly timid, as if afraid to scare her yet again.

"…. Like the way you forced me to sleep the first night you talked to me?" She asked quietly, eyes half lidded, still feeling helpless despite his effort to comfort her.

"_Yes."_

She paused for a long moment, before silently nodding, closing her eyes. Before she felt herself slip into unconsciousness, she felt her hair being brushed back from her cheeks, and a warmth on her forehead.

"_Sleep well, my dear Contractor." _His voice carried a tone of regret, as if his thoughts wandered elsewhere for a brief glimpse in time.

"Sleep well."

---------------------

Yeah, this chapter probably left you with more questions than answers. And no, the last line there is not supposed to be in italics. ;D

Hopefully I'll update faster now that I've found my outline. But who knows... I'll do my best. :3

Gawd it's late here ToT

Zoey


	8. Desperation

_ (5/24 - Edited chapter just slightly)_

Wheeeeee an update that _didn't_ take two years! YAY FOR ZOEY!

::Is pelted with tomatoes::

…..

Oh well, here's chapter eight!

--------------------------------

Chapter 8

_Desperation_

An abrupt hollow knocking urged Rosette awake, mid-morning rays filtering in through the window above her bed. Yawning, she brushed her blond bangs out of her face and sat up, stretching slightly as she heard her door creak open timidly.

"Neesan, it's almost noon." Joshua's voice carried smoothly across the room, lazy cerulean eyes meeting his as he stepped up to her bed with a somewhat stubborn look. "I know its Saturday, but get your butt out of bed before you mess up your internal time clock."

"But I don't have work until six…" His sister groaned, resting her head against the wall as she did her best to stay upright. She felt rested enough, but her breaks between school and work were oh so few and far apart. "And Gary said I'd have tomorrow off. Let me relish sleep a bit before I have to work on that damned essay."

Joshua breathed in a slow sigh, sitting down beside her with a worried look. "Alright…. I just wish you'd tell me why you've been so tired lately. You're not really paying much attention in school either…"

"Yeah, well…. I've got a lot going on right now." She shrank back and used her worn-out excuse he's heard way too many times as of late. "Don't worry about it. You just keeping doing what you need to do."

"You're a broken record." He remarked with a pointed stare. "That's all I ever get out of you. There's something you're not telling me, and I'm gonna find out what sooner or later."

"None of your business." Her words were harsh, but Joshua knew better that she was simply being overly defensive – and nervous too, by the way she was clenching and unclenching her bed sheet. "For all you know I could be having PMS problems. You wanna hear about that? Besides, I-"

Rosette's voice was immediately cut off as her hand quickly moved up and slapped over the juncture between her neck and shoulder, a blush creeping over her cheeks. _Oh dear lord in heaven he didn't do it again…_

"…..?" Joshua slowly raised an eyebrow, watching her carefully as she suddenly became frozen, hand latched to her neck. "Uh….you…okay?"

"_Yes, I'm up_!" She blurted out in a rush, voice squeaking at a higher pitch as it was forced out. "I-I'll be out for breakfast in just a minu-"

"_Lunch_. It would be _lunch_ now, Neesan."

"Right, right – lunch. Now leave an lemme get dressed!" She reached over and grabbed a pillow with her spare hand, shoving it at her brother who let out a protesting whimper as he was scoot off the bed.

"Wahh fine, fine… don't need to see you in your underwear… I just ate." He turned around and stuck his tongue out childishly at her – which earned him the same pillow chucked in his direction; thankfully it was easily dodged as he slid out the door hastily, closing it behind him.

Huffing slightly, Rosette waited a few moments to hear his footsteps go back down the hall, and into the living area before she let her guard down. Sliding out of bed, she walked over to her dresser, looking into an old-fashioned mirror that stood atop it. She cringed as she removed her hand from her neck, seeing a faded mark adorned with hints of dried blood.

"_You bastard!"_ She hissed under her breath, fingering the mark lightly as if to make sure it didn't hurt or keep bleeding. "What are you, a fucking _vampire_?"

"_Blood exchange strengthens the contract. Quit overreacting_." Chrno's voice replied with indifference, as if simply stating the facts like they were nothing new. Well, to him it wasn't.

"Did you have to do it from my _neck_?! God I feel violated…" She grimaced as she inspected the nearly completely faded wound once again in the mirror, looking more and more disgusted as her mind began to wander. If he could break skin without waking her, what else could he do while she sleeps? Oh merciful god…

"_The neck is the only point where blood attracts a small quantity of renewable Astral… I'm sure you'll appreciate me not drawing from any of the other sources. You'd probably die. Experience excruciating pain, flirt with a coma, then die."_

"You sure know how to sugar coat your excuses." Rosette grit her teeth, feeling more and more infuriated with him. Can't he see this isn't exactly a normal occurrence for her?

"_Your welcome." _

"That was _sarcasm_, asshole." She groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance. 'He does this on purpose… don't let it get to you…' The thought to herself, before calming down just slightly. "Look, just leave me alone, okay? I want to relax every once and a while without your smart remarks."

"_As you wish_." His voice was thick with fake endearment, but it was obvious he would comply – simply because he had better things to do than playing war with a teenager whose thousands of years out of her league.

Rosette sighed and grabbed her hairbrush, leisurely combing out the tangles of her golden locks. She stared at the mark on her neck once more, cheeks turning slightly pink as her mind wandered again, wondering if Chrno had ever done anything indecent to her other than this while she slept. She knew there probably wasn't any reason he'd too anything _too_ bad, but she really wondered if there were any other demonic rituals he's yet to tell her about that may or may not involve indecent touching. He doesn't really seem the type… but then again, he's constantly surprising her with more than enough situations that make her feel uncomfortable…

"_Lay off. You're still a __**virgin**_."

Needless to say, Joshua about wet himself at the screams of fury that proceeded Chrno's less than careful comment – and sulked with realization that he's going to have to be the one to repair the wall where her hairbrush had lodged itself in the plaster.

-------

The hours following the incident that had left the two siblings of apartment 5C bickering for thirty minutes were generally uneventful; though those thirty minutes did not include the time it took to find a repairman to fix the wall – which they couldn't exactly find in the first place, so in turn they tried to find someone who _did_ know where to look for a repair man; which didn't work out either, and in the end they had to go online and figure out how to apply fresh store-bought foundation to the gaping hole in the wall. In short, a small portion of Rosette's east wall had a rather lumpy, slightly discolored rebellious blob smack in the middle. Good luck explaining that to the landlord.

"I _so_ do not want to go into work today…" Rosette groaned and sat herself lazily next to her brother on the living room couch. "Josh, gimme the remote. It's my turn."

"Ten more minutes. _Surface_ is almost done." She heard him reply, pulling his blanket over his shoulders.

"Fine. Call me when it's done – I'll be in my room." The blond sat up once more, making her way back to the solace of her bedroom, and began filtering through her closet for her work uniform. Ever since the incident in the kitchen a while back, she was permanently placed as a waitress, forcing her to wear the same monotonous outfit every day – green pleated skirt (Which was way too short in her opinion), white collared top with a black tie that bore the restaurant's logo on it.

After fixing herself up quickly, she adjusted her tie in the mirror, and combed through her hair real quick once more. Slowly she glanced at the book Chrno had caught her reading the night before, on a stack of notebooks that adorned the right side of her dresser. Why didn't he want her to read it? She could barely understand most of it anyway…

"Hey, Chrno." She stated with an almost strict tone as if she was about to give him an order - and immediately regretting it. She flinched slightly as she waited for him to snap at her for 'using such a tone' or some such nonsense, but it never came.

Slowly she looked behind her needlessly, raising an eyebrow. "Kurono?" She called again, this time a bit softer.

No way. She hadn't talked to him since this morning, but he couldn't be gone again already, could he? She thought she'd be under constant surveillance after what happened last night.

She grinned devilishly at the silence before turning back and grabbing the book. "When the cat's away, the mice will play, Chrno." She said in an almost sing-song voice as she unclasped the old leather binding and flipped to a random page.

Though she had been confident she would find something she was sure Chrno wouldn't want her to know, she once again found herself struggling to read much of the text – sometimes there were whole paragraphs in old English, or even Latin; not to mention there were a few pages torn beyond recognition.

Her will was already wearing thin, knowing well Chrno would be pissed if he found her doing this again – and it didn't help that she found a chapter that talked about the various ways demons would torture their human contractors in their last weeks, inevitably killing them in horrifying ways. At one point she closed the book and sat down on her bed, feeling more than a bit creeped out. But that didn't last long after calling Chrno's name a few times, and had a boost of confidence when she was once again met with silence.

Only after a few more minutes of searching, she found something of interest. Apparently there was a point in time where humans were able to control their demons, and could sometimes force them to kill other people… Not everyone, but many found out that threatening to commit suicide (Mostly through spells, but apparently sometimes holding a blade to your neck worked fine too) could force their demon into a sort of pact that turned the tables on who controlled who.

'Wonder if I could do that to Chrno…' Rosette thought to herself with interest – but some of the spells listed sounded impossible for her (that and she could only ready half of the instructions if she was lucky), and in most cases, risky. There was one that could just end up killing you on the spot if done incorrectly… and some of the others weren't any prettier.

Flipping a few chapters forward again, she skimmed through some Latin text, finding a few sentences here and there she was able to read. Something about a chain and a bridge…. More philosophical crud that made absolutely no sense to her.

By now her heart was pounding with anticipation, afraid that with each turn of the page, Chrno would return and show her less mercy than he had the night before. The bastard enjoyed scaring the daylights out of her, she just knew it. So needless to say she winded up placing the book back exactly where she got it (or at least she hoped so) only minutes after she picked it up again, and walked back out to the living room to watch TV before she'd have to go to work.

"You were supposed to tell me when your show was done." She muttered, voice oddly quiet and timid as she sat down next to Joshua, watching him channel surf.

"You were busy getting ready… here, I'm done." He shrugged his blanket off him and sat up, handing her the remote. "Nothing's really on anyway. I'm gonna work on homework."

"Gee, thanks." She said with a grin, sarcasm thick in her voice. He was right though, after a few minutes of searching, she just wound up turning on some cartoon about fairies and a boy with a pink hat. It was mildly entertaining, and at the very least it gave her some time to calm down, relieved that she had yet to hear from Chrno – meaning that she got away with looking through that book.

Well, sitting here bored was just about as bad as working. Might as well do the constructive latter.

"Joshua, I'm heading out early!" She called down the hall and to her brother's bedroom as she pulled her brown leather jacket on and grabbed her wallet, stuffing it in one of the pockets on the sides.

"Bye Neesan!" She heard him call faintly from the other side of the apartment, probably too absorbed in whatever work he was doing to step out and see her off, which he usually does.

Slipping on her shoes, she walked out and locked the door behind her, letting out somewhat of a content sigh as she began leisurely making her way to the restaurant, something she rarely ever gets to do due to her horrible timing.

The sun was just beginning to set, not quite twilight, but just dim enough for the colors around the city to warm into a slightly orange hue. There were plenty of people around, one the streets and sidewalk, trying to beat the dinner rush that would inevitably back the New York streets in around thirty minutes, once the clocks struck six. It was almost peaceful… kind of like the calm before the storm.

Someone up there was surely laughing at the irony – oh how right she was.

"_Rosette_." Chrno's stern voice made Rosette jerk to a stop, a chill running up her spine. For a split second, she could have sworn he was about to reprimand her, or something of the like. "_Turn into the alley at your right. __**Now**_."

"Wh-what? Chrno…" She stuttered for a moment, looking around as if she was going to see some crazed murderer coming at her with a bloody cleaver.

"_**NOW**__, Rosette!"_ His voice boomed in her ears, making her jump again, and in an almost involuntary act, dive into the alleyway he pointed her too, almost stumbling past an overturned trash can. She made a turn at the end, before coming up to the next street at the end. "_Make a right – keep running."_ Odd… his voice sounded almost worried.

"Wh-what the _Hell_, Chrno?!" She practically yelled, not at all concerned about the people she passed as they gave her bewildered looks the moments she started yelling at the air. "What's going on?!"

An eerie silence fell upon her, only the sound of her strained breath and own pounding heartbeat reaching her ears. She was about to call his name again, before an invisible force pushed her across the street, the cars that would have run into her swerving to either side, metal clashing against metal, people crying with fright.

"_**Demons**__. They've found us_." His voice was oddly quiet – like he was talking to her from far away, but it was still laced with the same amount of intensity as it had been earlier. Before she was able to try and get another word in, she was shoved once again into the park side, tripping over herself and stumbling to the grass. A blast of wind came from behind, followed by more screams, and the blood-curdling sound of an otherworldly screech and cracking pavement.

Demons… there were other demons? Like Chrno? Why were they after her? "Chrno – what-!!!" She turned around after getting back on her feet, eyes widening as she felt her entire body freeze. A gigantic black creature was raising out of the shadows from the street, multiple clawed arms crushing street lights and cars that had already backed into each other. A handful of smaller ones dropped in from the tops of the buildings, breaking the concrete below their claws as the landed, blood flying as a few unlucky individuals fell victim to their claws.

"_**MOVE**__, ROSETTE!"_ Chrno's voice snapped her out of her frozen state, a part of her relieved that her demon couldn't possibly be one of the monstrosities that were tearing through metal and concrete like it was wet paper. Sirens began filling the air along with the screams of mortals, Rosette's blood running cold as she turned on her heels and ran, knowing there was little she could do but run as her demon ordered her to. Not moments later she was pulled again by an invisible force, just as a deformed wolf-like creature fell upon the ground, snarling at her, blood red eyes intent to kill, a venomous ooze dripping from its canines. Where were they all coming from?

The offending demon let out a cry of pain as it was slashed into two from nowhere, and Rosette found herself being pushed once again farther into the park, passing up many people who were running towards the entrance, screaming with horror.

Screeching to a halt, Rosette's eyes widened as she backed up a few steps, face paling considerably. Another creature was emerging from the shadows by the fountain in the center of the park, crushing the ground under its feet, long spiked tail tearing down offending trees from nearly eighty feet behind it. It rose to its full height, easily towering over the surrounding buildings outside the park; four gleaming red eyes fixating upon her as it opened its maw, a golden glow emanating from behind its mass of razor sharp fangs.

Her breath caught in her throat, her body suddenly feeling limp as she fell to her knees.

The air around her dropped to a freezing temperature, time slowing as she felt her heart skip a beat.

She was going to die.

She was going to _die_.

Bright yellow flames ejected from the mouth of the monster looming before her, the screeches and calls of countless otherworldly creatures echoing in her ears. Shadows from every corner of her vision began lurching forward, pitch black protrusions reaching out in forms of claws like whisps of smoke. So much destruction already… and there were still more coming.

Her vision blurred, her mind nearly slipping into unconsciousness as she winced, bracing herself for the pain, the sensation of blistering heat…

A lingering chill ran up her spine as a breeze of cold air passed her body from behind… and even after seemingly long moments of wait, she felt a breath of heat – but the she never felt the pain.

Breath heavy and staggering, she looked up, tears barely stinging her eyes as they widened.

Before her stood the figure of a man, one arm crossed in front of his chest, the aftermath of sun colored flames licking his skin and the grass around them. Black leathery wings protruded from his back, outstretched and slightly singed – and to her surprise, the scorched flesh was quickly mending over itself, healing rapidly until she could no longer tell there were ever burn marks there. A metallic, blade-tipped tail that extended from the base of his neck stayed slightly suspended in mid-air, the light of the flames reflecting off of the smooth surface in an eerie dance.

His head turned back towards her, golden eyes glowing slightly under dark violet hair – his gaze meeting hers for the first time in desperation.

"Rosette…"

Her blood ran cold, body completely frozen as her breath caught in her throat. Her mouth felt dry, her heart pounding painfully in her chest.

She _knew_ that voice.

The very same voice that had caused her years of pain and fear…

Years of isolation and regret…

"_Chrno_…?"

----------------------

OH GOD YES I am evil. Shower me with praise. Or flames. Y'know, whichever you feel like.

I'm on a roll here so the next chapter may be up fairly soon!

Zoey


	9. Confrontation

Yay next chapter! I know, I fail at updates. Faaaaaaaail at them.

At least this isn't on hiatus, like all of my other fics. xD

Oh well. Enjoy!

------------------

Chapter 9

_Confrontation_

"_Chrno_…?" Her voice nearly echoed in her ears, everything else around her muted and blurred as her gaze completely focused on the demon in front of her. _Her_ demon.

As quickly as his golden eyes met her own, he turned back towards the massive creature that stood over the park fountain, smoke rising from between its fangs.

"Forcing me to the physical plane…in front of my contractor, no less." Chrno's voice dripped with venom, making the blond girl behind him wince involuntarily with fear. She's heard him angry before… but not like this…

"_Kekeke…your priorities are as crooked as your values, Sinner_." The beast's voice flowed through the wind in a similar fashion that Rosette was used to hearing from Chrno. She wasn't sure if it was because it looked as if it was made of shadows, or if it really didn't have the compatibility to speak physically. "_No matter how strong the legends say you are… you cannot stand up to Defaux's frontline. Sheer numbers are against you, __Taktus."_

'_Taktus_?' Rosette blinked, slowly finding the strength to breathe and firm her ground. What was going on…?

"So this _is_ Defaux's meddling…" The violet-haired demon replied in a low voice, brimming with ignited fury but no where near a threatened state. He turned his head, watching with mild interest as lesser demons began to crowd around the safety of their larger cousin, fangs bared and claws brimming in the aftermath of the sun-colored flames that licked along the grass. "You should have stayed within the confines of Pandemonium, _underling_. Your effort is futile."

"_Cunning words from a Sinner!"_ The demon's mouth opened with a hiss, flames sparking from behind its fangs. "_Going nearly one hundred years without a contractor's life to bring you power – these grounds shall be your grave!_" It lurched forward, the multitude of smaller Legion scattering about before jumping towards their prey, otherworldly screeches and cries following their movement.

Rosette winced and covered her head (all the while wonder just how that could possibly help her) and let out a scream both of frustration and horror, wishing there was something she could do to stand up for herself… but her body was limp and tired, held down by the chains of hesitant fear.

At her cry, her demon counterpart's golden eyes became lidded, as if under a trance – and began to glow with the sun. A rush of powerful wind whipped around him along with his contractor, effortlessly knocking aside the screeching legion from all directions. Cracking rock and the upheaval of ripping soil had barely begun to echo in her ears before the blond girl looked up with wary eyes, staring in awe. She still couldn't believe it was him… and he was worse than she could imagine. Without even lifting a muscle, he knocked back so many demons like they were mosquitoes, nothing more than an annoyance.

Shakily Rosette stood to her unstable feet, watching as the shadows rippled and the injured black creatures were back on their feet, ready to launch another attack. Damn it… she couldn't just stand here like bait! There must be something she could do…

A growl shook the ground – and as she saw the bright golden flames shooting towards them, strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her nearly eighty feet away to safety in one swift motion. Relief washed over her for but a moment, before she looked up, noticing it was _Chrno_ who had her in a tight, protective embrace, her chest pressed firmly against his own.

Just as her hands moved up against him, weakly attempting to push herself away, his hold on her tightened. "Listen to me." His voice was stern and low, offering little comfort to her already shaken state. "I need you to stay put – make a break for the wood, the road, anywhere but here," his gaze fell upon her own, golden meeting cerulean. "And I won't be able to defend you."

She grit her teeth together, turning her head away from him in defiance, but it was obvious she was too frightened to do otherwise. "Y-You can't give me orders." She snapped with stubborn anger.

A smile graced upon his lips in amusement, before he leaned down to her level, lips close to her ear. "Don't push it, _dear heart_."

Her breath caught in her throat just as he disappeared, causing her to stumble just slightly at the lack of support Chrno had given her. In a rush she turned around, cringing as she saw black and crimson blood spill to the ground, the violet-haired demon rushing with a single movement and successfully cutting the heads off multiple smaller Legion. His motions were quick, deadly, and had little excess with each blow he dealt, striking with bright white light around his claws, then turning to slash another foe in half with his blade-tipped tail. In reality, only a handful of seconds had passed… but as Rosette watched with horror and awe, it seemed like ages before he lunged at the towering monster that breathed flames, the armor around his forearm morphing rapidly into a shining blade – and in a single motion, sliced up the chest cavity and into the neck, blood spilling in a stomach-churning noise.

Rosette's eyes widened. Was Chrno supposed to be this strong…? He fought so quickly… as if he was on a completely different level of power.

Her throat suddenly felt dry.

She remembered now… from that book…

"_Though only in theory, demons are thought to be more powerful the closer they are to having a human form. Legends tell of a handful of demons that could nearly pass as humans in appearance. These few were said to terrorize entire lands for hundreds of years, and destroy entire civilizations."_

Chrno…

_Her_ Chrno… couldn't be one of those mentioned in legend, could he?

"_Taktusss_…" The opposing demon lay limp on the ground, only able to move its eyes towards its offender. "_Why do you defy our motherrrr?"_

Cold golden eyes glared down at the creature as it strained to breath, giving it no reply, nor any sort of acknowledgement. "_Émesajtoló_." He hissed, and thrust the blade into the side of its skull, a horrific cry of death following the sound of tearing skin and cracking bones echoing as blood poured onto the grass and broken cement.

Rosette released a breath she didn't know she was holding, slowing sliding back down to her knees as she clutched the front of her shirt, forcing her knuckles to nearly bruise the skin above her heart. Dead…they were all dead. There were so many of them… though some of the smaller creatures disintegrated immediately after killed, larger bodies still littered the battlefield. From all directions, she was finally calm enough to hear the flood of sirens and chaos – cries and screams of those wounded in the crossfire, panic and hysteria suddenly sweeping all of New York. In essence, everything happened so quickly…but the damage was already this brutal. And Chrno…

She gulped, watching as the blood-soaked demon turned her way.

She had no idea _this_ would be Chrno.

Shaky arms propped herself up, watching him with uncertainty as she inched herself away. After all these years, there was a reason why he never showed himself… and because of her incompetence, her inability to defend herself even though she was strong, that silent vow was broken. Of course he would be angry… he had to be. She just prayed she could live through whatever consequence, if any, there would be for breaking something that sacred.

His steps paused in front of her, their gazes caught in an uncomfortable silence.

"What are you going to do to me?" She asked bluntly, trying her hardest to look away from him, but her attempts failed.

He merely blinked in reply, before closing his eyes with a slightly defeated sigh. "What the Hell are you talking about?"

She couldn't believe him. He was sluffing her off! "I remember Yuan said that demons rarely talk to their _victims_." She stressed the last word, fingers gripping the grass beneath her hands nervously. "So I'm guessing appearing before them is unheard of. Stop toying with me and just tell me… what are you going to do?"

Her less than careful words seemed to get the slightest bit of a rise out of him, as he reached down, grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet with ease, despite her constant effort to escape from his grasp. "Do you _want_ me to do something, _dear heart_?" He stepped forward, making the blond girl's breathing halt altogether as he gazed at her, their bodies too close for comfort.

Her jaw locked, her heart pounding so harshly in her chest she could hear it in her head.

"My, my… you're trembling." He gave her a remnant of a smile, completely unfazed with the fact that the sounds from the streets were slowing making their way into the park. "How cute." Slowly he tipped her chin up with his claws, making sure he had her full attention. "Now listen to me – I'm not about to give up on you this easily. Don't think I'll take your life over something as trivial as this."

She strained to find her voice as she cracked a smile, refusing to look completely helpless. "Of course by '_me'_, you mean my precious life force."

He didn't answer, but he looked down past the broken fountain as the sound of sirens became louder. "People are coming… we need to retreat lest we want to attract more attention." He released her wrist, and grabbed her shoulder, pulling her body flush against his own. "Close your eyes and hold your breath. This will feel cold."

Balling her hands up into fists, she rested them against his chest, still unable to stop shaking. He reeked of blood… and he was still far from doing anything but terrifying her. But she did as she was told, knowing that it was silly to stay this wary of him. He told her he wasn't going to kill her, and that should be enough…but goddammit he made it so hard for her to trust him.

Quickly Chrno stepped into the shadows, disappearing altogether just as a rush of people flooded the park scene, beginning the rise of a nation-wide scare at the sight of the bloody massacre he had left behind him.

---

He knew it wasn't right. In fact, it was wrong on more than a few levels – but hey, anyone could tell you that.

Joshua quickly slammed the dresser closed, face bright red.

And it just became even more wrong the moment he opened his sister's underwear drawer.

It wasn't ten minutes after Rosette left that Joshua soon found the urge to rebel – his patience was wearing thin and he wanted to find out what was going on with his big sister. She was his only family, and he though that sort of bond should be strong enough for her to be able to tell him everything, just like when they were little. But this time there was a reason she wasn't speaking up, he was sure of it; and after weeks of prodding and playing the waiting game, he was more than ready to take initiative himself.

But so far, he'd found nothing in her room that gave evidence about that 'ghost' that's been following her around since she was born. He was praying that he'd find something horribly cliché, like a diary or journal, but he should have known Rosette isn't the type to have any of those things. He even searched the history on her laptop, but all he found was that Magdalene Order site he had shown her a while back. There was just nothing out of place, nothing weird, nothing to point him in the right direction.

He should have known all this would leave him with was a guilty conscience for violating his sister's privacy. What did he expect? That all the answers he was looking for to be suddenly laid out in front of him the moment he stepped through that door?

"Why does she have to be so frustrating? _Augh_!" He groaned loudly and slammed his palm on top of her dressed, jumping as a pile of notebooks that hung dangerously close to the edge fell in front of his feet.

Irony reared its ugly head the moment he glanced down, spying the cover of an old, worn out leather-bound book.

Bending down, he grabbed the heavy book and ran his fingers over the burnt cover, the title written in black ink. "_Deamonology_…" He whispered, furrowing his eyebrows. She never had a book like this before… she never really got the occult fad, and she never believed in otherworldly spirits or mythical creatures.

Opening up the front cover, he found a small white index card laying there beside the spine, with a name and number written in someone else's handwriting. "Yuan Remington…" He read it aloud, trying to make sense of the name – but alas, it didn't ring any proverbial bells. And as he flipped through the pages one by one, he found out that the content of the book made just about as much sense to him. A war between a Holy Order and something called "Pandemonium", that was supposed to be located beneath the sea… Demons who terrorized entire countries, a man who sold his soul, and some cryptic 'prophecies', if you could call them that. Maybe… Rosette was afraid that whatever was following her all this time could be a demon? That didn't make sense. She would be dead by now if she was possessed by something that evil – that's how it always happened in the movies anyway.

"Eras of the Suffering….. Demonic Contracts?" Joshua's voice read softly as he turned another page, his interest reignited. This could be…

A series of crackling and screeching noises made the boy jump and drop the book – his heart skipping a beat the moment he felt something close to an earthquake pulse through the apartment, followed by the sound of a falling building; or at least, close to it.

"_What the Hell_?!" He yelled on impulse, immediately sprinting out of the room and towards the front door. He had a bad feeling about this…

---

Meeeeeh, kind of a short chapter.

Okay it _is_ short.

Anyway, hopefully the next update will be faster than this one. More Chrno goodness next chappie o3o

Zoey

PS – Forgive my completely lack of knowledge in the foreign language category that doesn't have to do with English or Japanese. Cookie for whoever guesses the origin of the big baddie demon using the only two words used in the native tongue.


	10. Countdown

Here's a chapter that's a bit longer than the last! Hope you all enjoy. :D

Oh, and the first part of this is a little suggestive, maybe even a hint of lime, so all you young readers be warned if you don't want to read anything of the sort.

After this chappie, the plot will finally begin to reveal itself. Yay! Oh, and there's more hot sexy Chrno. Double yay.

-----------

Chapter 10

_Countdown_

Cold.

It was freezing.

And not like ice water – that's too cliché. No, this was like drinking a tall cold glass of lemonade just before skinny dipping in a fishing hole somewhere in the Antarctic without the pleasure of knowing within the next five minutes at least fifty percent of your body will be numb.

So needless to say, Rosette couldn't help but let out a loud, strangled gasp as she pushed herself out of the strong arms that held her, tripping over herself in a panic and landing on her bed. Wait, this was new…

After a few seconds of gasping for breath, she looked down, grasping her fingers over her sheets, noticing that she was indeed back in her room. Quickly she looked up, partially relieved but mostly horrified to see that Chrno was standing not a few paces away from her, watching her with mild amusement. Well, time to give him a long and agonizingly detailed expression of the pain he just made her go through.

"_What_. The _FUCK_?!"

She never was good with words.

"Shadow jumping. I told you it would be cold, so stop whining." Came his somewhat cool response, clearly irritated with her tone but either trying to sound just a little less angered, or simply didn't think she was worth the effort.

"You didn't tell me I'd nearly_ pass out_! Do you have any idea how… how… _intense_ that was? I thought I was going to die!" She snapped, rising back to her feet, rubbing her arms although she was almost positive by now the cold was only an illusion.

The violet-haired demon folded his arms, glaring at her with those intimidating golden eyes. "I saved your life,_ little girl_. I suggest you calm down."

"Calm down. _Calm down_?" She repeated, though not letting her voice rise quite like before. "No, forget it. I'm not going to be pushed around by you again. I'm grateful for all you've done for me, but couldn't you – for _once_ in my life – treat me like I'm not some _toy_ to be played around with?"

"As I _recall_, Rosette," His voice dripped with the slightest bit of venom as he stepped closer to her, quickly grabbing her hand that had thrust out to push him away. "I've been more than considerate with your well being. Had you been claimed by any other demon, you would have been raped, tortured to the brink of insanity, and _killed_ by now for your complete lack of respect towards a creature far more powerful than you."

Though Chrno had vaguely tried to give her encouraging words, it was obvious by the look she was giving him he had achieved the polar opposite effect. Not that it was anything he was surprised about, but he had just about spent all his effort into trying to make her believe that in comparison to normal demonic routine, he'd be labeled a saint. He minced no words with her (Though honestly, that was the very root of the problem), and still she treated him like he had some sinister ulterior motive. Human women were just too fragile…

As she took a breath to reply, her hand visibly shaking within his own, he very much expected another plea for mercy. If frustration wouldn't kill him, cliché will. "And if you ever so much _think_ of doing anything like that to me, I'll kick you so hard your _grandchildren_ will feel it." She glared up at him with defiance, making her demon counterpart falter ever so slightly.

That had caught him off guard… though he still felt a little more than furious, he was surprised at her responses to him as of late. He could tell he was still scaring her horribly, but she was just so damn _stubborn_ that she gave every ounce of her energy into her refusal to let him see it. Even when she was just a kid, she detested being anything like a damsel in distress.

A tiny smile graced his lips as he leaned forward, placing one knee on the bed beside her, making the poor girl shiver despite the hardened look of resolve she gave him. "How adorable. You think you can threaten me, dear heart?" He pulled her hand up that he still had in his grasp, pressing her fingers to his lips almost idly.

Rosette blushed faintly, her heart beating loudly in her chest. "Wh-what are you…?" She stuttered, now frightened _and_ confused.

"I was planning on warning you first… being gentle… but I suppose I shall be a little more forceful in exchange for your harsh words…" His smile grew almost sadistically as he spoke, as if eager to carry out his word.

Slowly he kissed her fingers, making Rosette shudder with anticipation and blush harder still – before she felt the tip of his fangs brush against her skin, causing her to shake once more. '_What is he doing…?_' She trembled, trying to find her voice… but the best she could muster was a small whimper, wincing her eyes shut. His fangs then suddenly pierced her skin, making her jump and pull against his hold, dull pain throbbing through her arm.

"Y-You…Chrno…" She whimpered, her expression constantly changing from her normal defiant state to a steadily slipping look of terror. "You a-aren't… going to kill me…. Are you?" She asked in a tiny voice, both afraid to hear the answer, and yet hopeful at the same time.

He looked down at her with lidded eyes, as if he was momentarily put under a trance. At first he gave her no reply, his tongue lapping at the blood as it pooled from the small wound on her finger; but he soon paused, letting go of her injured hand altogether.

"Silly girl…" He smiled lightly, though Rosette wasn't too sure she liked that paired with the look he was currently giving her. Gently he coaxed her down and onto her back, making her shiver at the suddenly questionable position he put her in. "Stop asking me that. I already told you…" He ran his claws along her shoulder, pushing her hair back. "I'm not giving up on you that easily. After all…"

The violet-haired demon leaned down, his lips so close to her ear she could feel his breath. "You're _mine_, Rosette Christopher."

She gasped loudly as her heart skipped a beat, cheeks flushing as her mind momentarily slipped away from fear and into something a little more compromising. A small whimper escaped her throat the moment she felt his lips kiss her neck, her state of thought hazy and her vision blurring.

"Chrno…" She whispered, voice uncertain. At first she was utterly terrified about losing her life, but now she wasn't sure she should be scared about losing something else in the not so distant future. Drawing in a sharp gasp of breath, she momentarily froze, feeling his tongue gliding across her neck.

As she was about to ready her muscles, scream in his ear and kick him where the sun doesn't shine, pain washed over her so swiftly she could have sworn she passed out for a few moments. Only after she was able to think straight did she notice she no longer felt his tongue against her skin, but his fangs – and by the overwhelming stinging sensation, she could tell they were _in_ her.

Thankfully though and much to Rosette's relief, the pain didn't stay for long. Almost instantly she was able to refocus her gaze up at the demon that lay atop her, idly wiping away the faintest amount of blood on his lips.

"Fucking. _Vampire_." She glared daggers at him, bringing a careful hand up to feel the new puncture wounds. With a wince, she figured it'd only really hurt if she prodded at it.

Golden eyes gave her a condescending look. "I used up quite a bit of power fighting off those demons… and I'm almost one hundred years out of practice. Giving me an ounce of your Astral is only _common courtesy_ to the one who saved your life – or do I need to keep reminding you? And stop cursing; it's not very becoming."

"You're a broken record – and I'll say whatever the Hell I want. Now get _off_ me." She pushed both of her hands against his chest, knowing all to well she wouldn't be able to move him in the slightest bit. He was strong… overpowering. _Intimidating_. God it pissed her off.

"Do I hear a _please_, dear heart?" Chrno's smooth tenor voice teased lightly at her, anger just barely lining his words, as though he was honestly trying to keep his temper down to a cool minimum. The young blond beneath him was almost seething, frustration completely enveloping her eyes the moment she looked up at him. She was fighting back the constant shivers that ran down her back, still unsure of how to act around him; followed every so often with a familiar gaze of fear… And he had no idea why, but he felt as though he was enjoying it.

She drew in a breath, most likely stopping herself from snapping at him with a mouthful of cursing. Cerulean blue eyes met his own as she curled her fingers into fists, still holding them steadily at his chest – and for a moment, she gave him a look that was almost pitifully pleading. "P-please…" She whispered, taking in another breath, before completely breaking her helpless air she so hated to harbor, her voice firm and unyielding. "Get off me before I scream rape."

Feeling as though that was the best he'd be able to get out of her, the demon rose up with a slightly frustrated sigh and stood to his feet beside her bed. Almost immediately Rosette clasped her hand to her neck, grasping the headboard of her bed as she steadied herself up after him. It wasn't that the wound he gave her hurt anymore – on the contrary, she was almost positive it was starting to heal already, a single solitary drop of blood trailed down her chest and was followed by nothing more. It was more that she could still _feel_ him somehow, where his fangs had sunk into her skin. It was making her sick.

"Wait." Her voice sounded loud in the silent room, even though it was merely little more than a whisper. "If you can only attain Astral through one spot then what was _this_ for?" She jabbed her finger towards him, displaying before him the drops of fresh blood on the tip of her index finger.

Chrno paused as he looked down at her, amused by her confident front. "_This_," He spoke, bending down as he gently placed his claws under her palm, kissing the remains of the blood away from her fingertip. Looking up at her, he gave her an almost sly grin, making sure he flashed his sharp canines. "Was for taste."

Her skin crawled the moment those words left his lips, and immediately she retraced her hand from him. "Th-that's _disgusting_! You…" Her sentence ran quiet, her expression clearly stating she wasn't sure what to add. "Look… I'm sure you're having the time of your life toying around with me, but do you think you could elaborate about what happened back at the park?"

"I have nothing more to add to what you already know yourself." He coolly responded, leaning back against the wall beside her bed, folding his arms.

"I know I was nearly killed by a horde of demons and scared shitless by _you_." She grimaced, remembering the carnage that had been in their wake. "What I want to know is why those things came after us – there has to be a reason."

"You shouldn't meddle in the affairs of creatures such as I – you'll only be killed faster." Golden eyes gave her something akin to a glare, his voice firm. "This is the part where I say you should go about your daily life, but I'm beginning to give that a second thought."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Her question carried hesitance, as if almost afraid to hear his answer.

The tall demon looked away from her, letting out a soft sigh. "I fear after this initial attack, our location will be spread by word of mouth very quickly… and there will be more demons wanting to spill both of our blood."

"W-What?! You're kidding me!" Rosette practically yelled, standing to her knees. "Why is all of this happening, Chrno? Why are all of these demons after us?"

"None of your _concern_, little girl. Now I suggest you let it go – I'm not exactly thrilled to have to bring up the essence of this subject as it is." His arms unfolded, taking a step towards her in a threatening manner.

She winced as he moved closer, biting her lip nervously. He was starting to scare her again… but she wasn't about to give up – not when she was so close to squeezing it out of him.

"They're after _you_, aren't they? Not '_us'_." She stated defiantly, looking up at him with a solid gaze.

"You're testing my patience." His voice grew darker, but it was obvious she struck something.

Giving him a long pause, her expression fell to a melancholy gaze. "Why are you so intent on keeping this from me?"

"Because I don't want you hurt." His reply was rather quick and honest, making his contractor stare at him for a moment in surprise. "I've been with you since birth, Rosette. I know that if I tell you any more, you're going to bury yourself in my problems, and you're not going to be able to pull yourself out. This isn't some petty human matter – you're going to get yourself killed if you stick your nose in places where it doesn't belong."

Rosette knew she should have taken that last comment to heart, but she just couldn't. "So you're saying I'll just get in the way." She furrowed her brows, sending him a weak glare. The demon before her stepped forward, making her wince her eyes shut, waiting for him to reprimand her as he always does when she doesn't keep her mouth shut.

But instead for whatever punishment she was waiting for, she felt his hand lightly set atop her head. Hesitantly she looked up at him, confused once she saw his almost… concerned expression. "I'm saying I'll worry about you. You're always so rash… I'm scared you may put yourself in a position where I won't be able to help you."

Rosette blinked once. Twice. And after the third time, a light blush arose on her cheeks. He has to be kidding… did he say he was _scared_? Oh pitiful, pitiful irony…

"Maybe I'll believe you when you stop the sadistic comments at my expense." She pouted slightly, looking away from him, trying to hide the fact she was still blushing. "Gods you're so confusing…"

The echoing slam of the front door made her jump, followed by familiar footsteps down the hall. Swiftly she looked up at Chrno, their eyes meeting one last time before he closed his, and faded into the air, a small whisp of black smoke left in his wake. Almost in that same instant, she heard her bedroom door open slowly, and she turned almost frantically in her bed.

"R-Rosette?" Joshua blinked, having only set one foot into her bedroom. "When did you get home? You're supposed to be at work!"

"W-well I…uh…." Rosette stuttered hopelessly, fingers digging into the covers beside her feet. "I…forgot something and…"

Identical blue eyes stared right through her, concern and confusion washing over her little brother's face. "Fine. You don't have to tell me." He turned away to step back into the hallways, closing the door behind him.

"Wait – Joshua!"

He paused and looked back at his sister, still wearing a somewhat hurt expression.

"……" Rosette slowly looked down at her hands. "…I'm sorry."

Joshua closed his eyes in acknowledgement, and stepped out, closing the door behind him.

Guilt consumed her, and as she listened to his footsteps back down the hall, she began to wonder just how long she can keep all of this from her beloved little brother…

---------------

Rosette was so sure she would be fired, considering the fact that she never really had the energy to return to work that night. But the following day, once she walked into the restaurant, she was only met with concern, and relief. Apparently such an incident that results in three blocks' worth of damage caused by horrific otherworldly creatures was enough excuse for any and all people absent from work during the evening… The moment Rosette spoke a single word about being caught up in the panic yesterday, her boss was more than ready to let her off easy.

Though it was to be expected, her position at work was the least of Rosette's problems. Completely pushing aside the fact that she's been feeling extremely guilty about lying to her brother (And also a little worried he may be catching on to her predicament), she also found that she's become almost paranoid about something jumping out and scaring her. Whether it's the fact that a horde of demons cornered her and there was ill intent of more returning, or simply because Chrno made his appearance in front of her, she wasn't so sure.

Cleaning off a table where some little kid had spilled his drink, Rosette looked up at the clock back by the kitchen. Her shift was almost over… and she wasn't looking forward to walking back home in the dark. At the very least, she knew Chrno wasn't mad at her for her little outburst yesterday, seeing as he would talk to her every now and then in that almost creepy, transcendent voice he uses.

Now that she thought about it, it hasn't been that long since she first learned about the demon that had been possessing her since her birth… He's always scared her to death every time he'd open his mouth, but now she felt she was almost making progress with him. Especially last night…

She had no idea he could be serious and _not_ sadistic at the same time. She was beginning to wonder if she should be scared just by the essence of that.

"Hey boss," She walked over to the table where a bald man in about his mid thirties was sorting out different papers.

"What is it, Rosette?" The man replied, not looking up from his work.

"I was wondering if I could leave early tonight… I'm not sure I'm feeling well." Her excuse rolled off her tongue in an undignified manner, making her reconsider her point. "I was up late last night because I was so shaken by what happened… it was all over the news for hours…"

Her boss stopped and looked up at her for a moment, before nodding and patting her on the arm. "Alright. We're a little slow as it is… I'll see you on Thursday."

Rosette smiled and thanked him, going back to the locker rooms to change out of her uniform and back into her jeans and blue collared shirt.

"Chrno?" She asked the air as she walked out the front of the restaurant and into the dimly lit sidewalk, the streets bustling with cars.

"_Hm?"_ Came his somewhat lazy reply.

"You were gone again." She pouted, holding her purse with both hands as she walked in a reserved manner. "I called your name several times a while ago."

"_There were more demons at the edge of the city… I had to dispose of them before they came too close."_

"Was anyone hurt?" She bit her lip, looking up the street before making her way down the crosswalk. "Property damage?"

"_No, nothing of the sort – they were gone in a matter of seconds_."

The blond teen let out a sigh of relief. Thank god… the last thing her life needed was more reason to feed the fire of the nation-wide upset the incident yesterday had already caused.

It was a long while as she walked along, before she heard his smooth tenor voice once more.

"_I suppose I should let you know… that was the third attempted attack this day."_

She grimaced, anxiety and worry pulling at her chest again. "Oh god… what are we going to do?"

"_The only reason this is happening is because they know where we are now." _There was a pause. "_I need you to leave New York. We still have time to shake them off our tail if we move within the next few days."_

"Leave?!" Her voice escalated, feet stopping in their tracks just as she reached the parking lot of her apartment complex. "I have school… a job – and Joshua! How can you tell me to leave like this, when I've finally got a steady life?"

"_It's either that or be forever threatened by demonic forces_." Chrno's tone lowered, becoming more firm. "_They aren't going to stop until they're satisfied… until we're both killed."_

"You've got to be kidding me… there has to be a way around this!"

"_If it was that simple…"_ His voice trailed, before it stopped altogether, leaving her hanging. Long seconds passed before light tapping could be heard not a few meters away.

"Neesan?"

Rosette froze, looking over towards the stairs, her brother standing out on the sidewalk. At first he gave her a look of concern and confusion… but it quickly diminished to one of determination. She didn't like where this was going…

"Neesan, who were you talking to just now?" He asked, not taking his time to beat around the bush. It was then Rosette knew she was being cornered.

"N-Nobody… talking? I wasn't talking." Her words came out stuttered, her blood running cold. She had a hunch that her brother knew something was up, but now she was certain…There was no way he could know too much, seeing as most of what was happening she could hardly believe herself. Hell, he probably still thinks she's being haunted by some petty ghost…

"You're lying." He replied firmly, making his sister cringe with more guilt. "We're family, Neesan… we used to be so close." He paused, looking away for a moment before meeting her gaze with a hurt expression. "Do you not trust me?"

"No Joshua… it's not that." She slowly shook her head, her insides turning to mush as she tried to think her way out of this one. If he would even let her.

"Then why won't you _talk_ to me?"

Her eyes widened, realization hitting her hard. Suddenly, she knew all too well how he felt, how frustrating it is to not know what's going on around you, in front of your eyes… and if it all could harm someone who's so close to you. She had been asking Chrno the same thing.

Why didn't she see it before?

"Joshua… I'm sorry…" Her gaze fell, voice quiet. "A lot has been going on lately… I'm tired, confused, and… well…" She looked up at him, biting her lip as she fumbled with her words again. "I-I'm not sure he would approve of – "

"_He_?" Joshua responded with a hard tone, giving her a pointed glare. "Who is '_he'_?" His question was met with dead silence, frustration openly expressed on his features. "Neesan, I'm beginning to wonder if this whole 'ghost' thing is starting to make you paranoid or not, but you're making me worry. If you don't want to tell me a thing, fine. But don't keep making me wonder about your health like this."

There was a long, painful silence between them as Rosette waited, trying to sort out all of her stray thoughts in her head – and all the while, waiting to hear her demon's voice to respond with any sort of disapproving comments.

"Chrno…?" She asked quietly, making her brother perk up slightly, watching her carefully.

"_It's not my choice to make, Rosette."_ Came her demon's simple reply, no anger in his tone, but she could tell he wasn't ecstatic about the idea. "_But do you really want to put Joshua in the same kind of danger?"_

All she could muster was silence once more, before she took a breath and looked at the boy in front of her whole-heartedly. "I-I can't, Joshua. It would only burden you… but I promise, I'm alright. I'm just…" She paused, searching for the right words. "I'm in a tough spot right now."

Joshua sighed, folding his arms and closing his eyes with disappointment. "Fine. As long as you let me know if you're getting yourself involved in anything dangerous… I love you, Neesan. I don't want to see you put up with this any longer than you need to."

She gave him a warm smile, if not melancholy. "Thank you." She stepped forward, and pulled him into a tight embrace that he hesitantly returned with a small blush.

"Let's get back inside… it's getting cold." He patted his sister on the back, pulling away from the hug. He figured she'd tell him when she was ready anyway… no use rushing things if it wasn't necessary.

"Alright." She nodded, ready to step towards the stairs – before a cold breeze made her shiver. That was odd… the last time she felt something like that, was when she was talking to Chrno…

"Rosette Christopher?" A dark voice called out from behind, making both siblings turn on their heels.

An older man around his thirties with black facial hair and matching trench coat stood not a few feet away, watching Rosette with growing interest. His blood red eyes lidded as he spoke, the air around them dropping to an alarmingly low temperature with each passing moment. Both Rosette and Joshua flinched and stepped back, not needing to be told twice that there was something strange about the man in front of them.

"Y-Yes..?" Came her quiet reply, almost afraid to speak to him, wondering if that was the wrong thing to do.

"_Rosette, RUN!"_ Chrno's voice echoed loudly in her ear, making her instinctively grab Joshua's hand tightly and bolt in the opposite direction, down the sidewalk that ran along their apartment building, hearth beating wildly in her chest. This wasn't good… there was no way that man was a demon, but the way Chrno spoke to her, there had to be something wrong.

"R-Rosette, what-?" Joshua yelped as his sister yanked him along, eventually turning the cover and shoving him beside her, their backs against the walls. Even if she was supposed to run, she couldn't stay too far away… there had to be something she could do. "What's going on?"

"Aah… how perceptive of you, Chrno." The man spoke into the air, his grin widening almost sadistically just as Rosette peeked around the corner, watching him with confusion. He knew Chrno?

With a gasp, her eyes widened and she gripped the side of the brick wall just as she saw the shadows in front of the stranger morph and grow. At first she was terrified that there were more demons… but she was met with the slightest bit of relief the moment she saw Chrno step out from the shadows, making her hear pound loudly in her head once more.

"Even with my human disguise, you were still able to recognize me…" The man sounded as if he was boasting, fangs showing in his crooked smile. "Pity, that is."

"So I see you're still pursuing us Sinners…" Chrno spoke firmly, golden eyes narrowing into a deadly glare. "You should have stayed in Pandemonium with the protection of your dear mother…"

"My my, was that a threat?"

The violet-haired demon growled loudly and stepped forward, pulling back his arm, claws trailing with white lightning – and in an instant, he jumped faster than the human eye could follow, suddenly crashing his fist into the pavement where the dark stranger stood, causing the cement the fly in all directions; but his opponent had already moved to the other side of the lot, standing atop a parallel building – and in that instant, Rosette realized they were all in a shit load of trouble.

The man had changed, large black wings similar to Chrno's protruding out of his back, as well as two large, black horns. He wasn't by any means identical to her own demon, but he looked almost human in appearance, just as Chrno does… meaning he had to be just as powerful… or possibly even more.

"Rosette…" Joshua whispered, watching with wide, perplexed eyes as he gripped his sister's shirt. "What's going on?"

With a blast of power, Chrno propelled himself into the air, eyes glowing with fury. He wasn't going to give up this freedom he had fought so hard for hundreds of years ago…

"_DUFAUX!!!" _

----------------

I know, pretty bad place to stop. I guess I'm just a little too eager to try and progress the actual plot that I may have rushed things a bit at the end…

Can we all tell I like vampires::mad cackle:: I just had to have something a little vampiric in there for Chrno. It makes me giggle.

Zoey


	11. Scar

OH GOOD GOD SHE UPDATED.

Yes I know. It's a Christmas miracle. Only it's lame and three months late.

Enjoy? I await tomatoes for not updating in eight months.

----------------

Chapter 11

_Scar_

Ninety-eight years.

The current demon general reminisced as he relaxed at his post deep within Pandemonium, his deep red eyes watching the false skyline that the walls of his world so generously bestowed upon his kind. The blue sky was too dark, laced with hints of red – and the clouds were nothing like he's seen up in Earth.

It had been ninety-eight years since he was last graced the permission to rise to the land above, even if the orders he was given did not allow him to take the time to truly appreciate the lush, beautiful world that had been inhabited and abused by the primitive human race. Their world had a real sky… real stars at night, warm sunlight at day. They had a freedom they had no idea they should cherish; such a stubborn, ungrateful race they were. Even the highest ranking demons weren't allowed passage to earth without the link of a Contractor, and nowadays, there are far more demons terrified of leaving the haven of Pandemonium.

Thousands of years ago, it was rare to find a human without the haunting shadow of a demon… After all, as long as his kind continued to harvest the human's special blend of Astral, they could gain immortality. Their horns only provided them with so much life force, that without a Contractor, even a high ranking individual such as himself would last a mere two hundred years – a flicker in the stream of time. If only they had the complete protection of their queen, the demon race would once again rise and flourish in the abundant life of the human world… but alas, their guardian fell almost a thousand years ago. Though their world may still be in tact, it hardly gave them a home. False light, little food, and chaotic storms became a norm, not to mention that without a dominant female, there was no hope for future generations.

Gritting his wicked sharp fangs together in seething frustration, he remembered the band of traitors that had reduced their once beautiful world into this barren wasteland – the ones labeled with the feared title of 'Sinners'. In that war a thousand years ago, they had succeeded in doing the unthinkable… they killed their queen, and forced their way into the world above, seeking a well camouflaged refuge. To this day, he never figured out their intention behind the massacre that had killed nearly eighty percent of their kin, but to him, that was irrelevant. Their actions spoke louder than any reason could.

"General Dufaux," A black hooded figure that barely hid his disfigured face appeared from the shadows, placing his arm across his stomach in an obligatory bow. "The scouts have returned… shall I give you the report?"

The red-eyed demon only recognized the other's presence by tilting his chin up, still gazing up at the sky. "At once. Were their any casualties?"

The hooded figure returned his question with a painful silence, his voice lower than before. "…Only one scout was able to return. The body count is one Sub-Elite, twenty soldiers, and nine scouts. The last one to return has died… we are in the process of extracting its Astral."

Dufaux grimaced, his only obvious portrayal of distain in his silence. "Very well. What do we know?"

"Sinner Chrno's primary location." His subordinate sounded pleased, grinning to show a crooked fang. "He's oddly close to his Contractor… he's even revealed his true form to her – no doubt he's protective of his prey. We should use this to our advantage."

"Do we have permission from the top to proceed to Earth?"

"Yes, General. We have four Sub-Elites and a squadron of soldiers ready at our command."

"No need." The demon general turned, walking past the cloaked one with a sadistic grin upon his features, eyes gleaming with the ache for revenge. "I want to take this bastard down myself."

The inferior lowered his head as his commander walked past, fangs gleaming.

"As you wish."

----

"_DUFAUX!!!"_

A vibrant clash of energy bright enough to mimic even the strongest bolt of lightning lit up the area as Chrno rammed into the Pursuer with ready claws. His opponent skidded back against the cement and took to the air, retaliating with naught but a laugh as he was closely followed with a deadly golden leer.

"Neesan!" Joshua repeated harshly, tugging harder on his sister's shirt as she continued to watch the scene unfold before them high in the night sky. "What the Hell is going on…? We need to get out of here!"

"No," She stated firmly, placing a hand over his own in hopes of giving him the slightest bit of comfort. "I can't leave him like this… there has to be something I can do…"

"_Him_? What are you talking about?!" He gasped, blue eyes darting from Rosette's worried gaze to the sky. She couldn't possibly be talking about the older man that had confronted the both of them with questionable intent, but at the same time… she couldn't be talking about either monster, could she?

"Chrno has been protecting me my entire life. I'm not about to abandon him when he may need me…" Rosette's eyes closed slowly, internal conflict obvious in her voice. At first she thought that if this battlefield could give her hope of freedom from her demon's grasp, she would seize the opportunity. After all, if Chrno is killed, then she wouldn't have to suffer under his contract anymore – he could no longer make her fear the dark, she may not be pursued by other demons if he was gone. So then… why was she finding it so hard to run away?

"You don't mean…" Joshua's voice was barely above a whisper, but she still heard him clearly. "Neesan, is he…is this monster your 'ghost'?" His baby blue eyes fixated upon his sister's near identical ones, his voice shaky with uncertainty.

She couldn't bare to look him in the eye, so her gaze fell. "I'm sorry… I never told you before. But I only found out a few weeks ago myself…"

"What is he?" Her brother's voice cut her off short. "He's not a ghost, is he?"

Slowly she shook her head, her arms raising to grasp themselves in a nervous fashion. "Chrno's a demon… and I've fell into a contract with him the day I was born."

Joshua grit his teeth, at first seeming shocked beyond belief, but he forced himself to calm. "Neesan," He began, reaching behind him for something that was tucked away at the side of his jeans. "I found that book in your room…the old English one." As expected, he was met with a small gasp, and baffled eyes. "I thought it had to be a joke… but everything seemed to fit perfectly. I… was going to give this to you tonight, if you told me my suspicions held true."

Rosette blinked as he brought out a gun from the pocket inside of his coat, wincing and looking back momentarily as the sound of broken glass and bending metal filled the air. Shoving her brother farther down the wall, she practically glared at him. "Joshua! You can't have a gun!"

"It's an Exorcist Colt 45. They can't fire real bullets – they only take these," He dug back into his pockets and brought out a small bundle of six identical bullets wrapped with a rubber band. "Blessed silver and holy water. Granted I suppose they can do damage to a person, but these will do a shit load of damage to a demon." He paused for a moment, looking hesitant. "At least they should."

It didn't take her long to harden her resolve, a sudden spark of hope glimmering in her eyes. "Give me that." She practically snatched the gun from his hands, fumbling with one of the bullets. "Are these all we got?"

"There's two more boxes inside…"

"Great – well that's not going to do us a lot of good." She wrapped the rubber band around the bundle of remaining five bullets and shoved them in the back pocket of her jeans. Hesitantly she crawled back towards the corner of the building, peeking out towards the wreckage that filled the parking lot, cars so badly damaged you could hardly distinguish them. Well at least she knew that's what the blast was from earlier that sounded like breaking metal…

"W-wait, you're not going to use that now are you?! That's supposed to be our last defense, you could be killed if you rush out there!" Her brother's voice was near hysterical, his hands tightly grabbing her arm, hoping to pull her back if she dared to run out there.

"Chrno's getting hurt!" She turned to him with a determined look. "I've been useless these past weeks... unable to do anything on my own. I won't run away now when there's a chance I can repay him!" Harshly she jerked her arm out of his hold, and ran out from the safety of their hiding spot. With one last apologetic look towards her little brother, she looked up at the night sky, frantically searching for her winged companion. A large explosion across the street of the apartment building nabbed her attention quick enough – and at first, all she could do was gawk.

The second demon with black horns was the first to emerge from the wreckage, half of the building that used to be the community lodge breaking down in a burst of fire. Faster than her eye could see, he was up in the sky, almost in the same instant parrying a winding blow by the edge of Chrno's sharpened tail. They were so fast, so brutal… it was true that these creatures were on a completely different level.

"Where's all that power you had a hundred years ago, Sinner?" Dufaux laughed, striking out with a sword Rosette had not even noticed he unsheathed until now. "This is what you get for waiting so long to feed! You're a mere ghost of the former Slayer of a Hundred!"

The violet-haired demon cringed as he brought an armored arm up to block the sword, but the razor sharp edge was beginning to dig into the slowly cracking material. "I only need a fraction of my power to deal with the likes of you!" He bellowed, the claws on his free hand extending into massive blades before he lunged forward, sending a blast of white electricity into his opponent's face and successfully knocking his sword away from his damaged arm.

Though that final attack seemed to work, his victory didn't last long. Only a few breaths later did Dufaux appear behind him, sword piercing easily through Chrno's back, and out his chest. With furiously glowing golden eyes, the Sinner tried to turn his head towards Dufaux, growling low as he clutched the bladed weapon at his front. Damn it…! He was too slow!

"Getting cocky now are we?" The demon general mused with a dark grin. "I suppose since your other half is dead, you never even had a chance against me. Not like those thousands of years ago."

"_Aion is not dead_!" Chrno snarled, his grip on the sword tightening, blood dripping from his palms and fingers. "No pampered aristocrat could ever harm him…not when-!"

His words were cut short as a blast of white light engulfed his vision, a severe burning sensation creeping along his back before the sword was removed and he faltered in the air, turning to see what had transpired. Dufaux was missing an entire arm, blood spilling and legion desperately trying to regenerate what was lost. What on earth…?

"_CHRNO_!!" The familiar voice caught his attention, causing him to frantically search the ground below. Rosette stood in the middle of the parking lot, gun held shakily in her hands. Impossible! Bullets can't harm a demon of their status – unless…

"_You little BRAT_!" Dufaux growled with unnerving hatred, snapping his wings and flying down towards the human girl in breakneck speed, single hand out with the end of his sword bared towards her.

In the time it took for Rosette to bring up her gun again at the ready, finger pulling the trigger, the black-horned demon had already knocked it away with his gleaming blade. The young girl cringed in horror as she stumbled back to the ground, closing her eyes as she braced herself, the sword coming back around for the final blow.

She screamed as her blood was spilled, pain throbbing horribly in her shoulder, feeling her skin tear in a gut-wrenching fashion, the sound resonating in her ears. The pain was almost unbearable… every nerve was on fire, the tissue feeling as though it was melting away where she had been cut into.

The sword had stopped unexpectedly, already a third of the way into her shoulder, before a black and red ooze poured onto her legs and feet, and she looked up with wide blue eyes, almost unable to comprehend the scene in front of her eat first.

The center of Dufaux's chest was pierced by Chrno's claws, the legion in his slowly regenerating arm pausing from the sudden attack. "Strike that blade through my chest, fine. I'll bleed for you." Chrno's voice lowered to a dark, sadistic tone Rosette recognized he only used when his anger was pushed to the very limits. "For aiming it at my contractor…" He leaned forward, growling deeply under his breath. "I'll make you wish I'd have killed you two thousand years ago."

In that instant, the violet-haired demon's tail whirled around and cut through the neck of the demon general, sending the severed head flying off onto the pavement, legion scattering and melting away in a black smoke, Dufaux's very form being devoured by the shadows at his feet.

Rosette hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath, before she suddenly gasped and took a sharp breath in, unable to move, and almost unable to speak. "'S…he….d-dead?" She asked in fragments, shaking horribly. She had never shot a gun before in her life… if she had missed, Chrno might have been…

"No. He's simply retreated to Pandemonium to heal himself… it takes a little more than that to kill a demon as old and as powerful as he." He replied darkly, watching the ground with lidded eyes where the last of the legion melted away from existence.

It was as if the relief she felt caused her pain to wash over her again full force, choking out a cry as she held the deep wound in her shoulder, blood bubbling out in sickening amounts. Damn it…! If only she had moved just a little more at that time, he would have completely missed her…

"NEESAN!" Joshua came running out from the other side of the building, tears in his eyes and face horribly pale. Completely ignoring Chrno, he fell to his sister's side, holding her up as she began to waver. "A-ah, h-hospital! Hospital!!" He fumbled for his cell phone in his jacket pocket, dropping it to the ground as his shaky hands tried to dial 911.

"No need." Chrno said in a level voice, making the blond boy jump, as if he really forgot the demon was right beside them. Carefully he got to his knees, careful not to open the already healing wound in his chest. He gently took Rosette from her brother, who reluctantly let go, obviously too terrified to argue with large winged demon. With a soft touch, he placed his hand over the young girl's wound, holding her tightly against his chest, as if preparing for something.

In an instant, Rosette's eyes snapped wide open, and she let out a deafening cry of pain as her demon forced tainted Astral into her wound, every portion of her body suddenly on fire. She struggled against him, trying desperately to get out of his firm hold, tears falling down her cheeks and entire body shaking. It was painful… much more painful than before. It was like pouring alcohol all over the open wound, then promptly following up with salt and lemon juice. But it began to fade as quickly as it started, leaving her panting and shaking only slightly in the demon's arms, the blood from her shoulder slowing to a stop and her skin healing over much faster than humanly possible. Exhausted, she fell limp against him.

"Wh-what did you do?!" Joshua practically screamed as Chrno got to his feet, carrying the blond girl in his arms like a precious child. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SISTER?!"

"Calm down," Chrno looked back at the shorter boy, walking towards the stairwell. He could hear sirens flooding the streets, and no doubt people will be coming out from their homes to see what happened. "I injected some of my energy into her… Astral, and trace amount of Legion." He scaled the stairs swiftly, not pausing to wait for his contractor's brother, though he was sprinting just to keep up. He stared at the lock on their apartment door, before the entire thing just blew off and the door shot open. Joshua just about dropped his key, frantically following him inside. "It's because we have a contract that my energy is able to synchronize with hers to a certain degree. It would kill anyone else."

"So is she okay?" Joshua asked with a strained voice, pushing the door shut tightly since they didn't have a lock anymore. He could have just waited without destroying it…

"Yes. She passed out is all… the pain is horrible, but it only lasts for a moment. It's much better than taking her to some human hospital and wait months for her recovery." He spoke with a lower voice, walking into the living area and setting Rosette down carefully on the couch, covering her with a blanket. "She'll wake up soon enough."

"Th-this can't be happening." The blond boy shook his head, voice stuttering as he spoke. "All this time I thought she was haunted by some silly ghost…but all this time, it's been you?" His only reply from Chrno was in intense golden stare. "Y-you're a demon, right? Stop hanging on Neesan! Your being here has only put her in danger!"

"I know that_, little boy_." He growled, standing back to his full height, causing Joshua to cringe and take a step back, though he already had plenty of distance between them. "So in return, I'm protecting her as best I can. Don't dig around in others' affairs."

"_Protecting_ her?!" He yelled, staring at the taller man incredulously. "You almost got her killed today! You've been tormenting her since we were both little! You can't possibly be-" He cut himself off, somehow frozen by the glare sent at him paired with unearthly eyes.

"You're right." He admitted, but didn't seem to show the slightest bit of empathy. "I'm doing nothing but putting her in danger. Tough luck, kid – that's how the world works. Sometimes there are just bad people who take without caring about the consequences it brings to others."

Joshua grit his teeth, balling his hands into fists. "You _are_ just like the demons in that book." He spoke in a low voice. "You're evil… you don't even care if my sister is killed! All you want is her Astral!"

"And_you're_ the voice of reason telling me to abandon my _evil_ ways." Chrno grinned, baring his fangs just slightly. "How_touching_. Silence yourself before I lose my patience with you. You may be this girl's brother, but if you become a thorn in my side I'll make sure you'll be unable to bother me again."

The smaller boy cringed, obviously terrified with the threat. There was no way she could leave this monster with his precious sister… but what else could he do?

The violet-haired demon watched him in silence, slowly turning his gaze to the sleeping form of Rosette. This certainly put a wrench in his plans…he had no idea Dufaux would find them so quickly. And now her brother was aware of him…"Joshua," He spoke his name firmly, making the blond boy in question stiffen. "Get plane tickets, call a cab – anything. Just find a way to get you and your sister out of here in the next few hours."

"Wh-what? Why?" He blinked, completely lost.

"It's not safe here anymore… if Defaux found us, then more demons will be on their way. We need to get out of here, and fast."

Joshua was silent for a few moments, but nodded faintly, and ran to the phone, opening up the yellow pages. He wasn't sure if it was right to do as this demon says, but he couldn't just stand there and do nothing, especially if more demons were going to come after them.

"Mmn…" Rosette stirred, bringing a hand up to her shoulder and groaning, tilting her head to the other side in dull pain. It felt much better than before though…

"Rosette," Chrno spoke her name softly, as he knelt down beside her lying form, reaching out to brush some of the hair from her eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired….and my arm…" She mumbled, vaguely remembering what had happened. "What did you do to it?"

"I sped up the healing process with my own Astral. You're going to be tired for a while, but it's almost completely healed now." Somehow, his tone was much gentler than before. "You stupid girl, you could have killed yourself."

"S-same to you! Pulling the big hero card like that was the most moronic thing you've ever done!" She leaned up, rubbing her shoulder as she propped herself against the arm rest. "…Where's Joshua?" Her heart skipped a beat.

"He's in the other room, on the phone. We're getting both of you out of here before more demons attack."

"What, are you kidding me?! This is our home, we don't have any place to go to!"

"Then we'll find a place. We can't stay here, they know where we are."

"But…"

"Do you want to put Joshua in danger as well?" His gaze on her hardened, and she stopped dead in her tracks, his words hitting her full force. He was right… this wasn't just for her…Joshua can't get caught up in all this.

"So…we're running?" She asked quietly.

"Yes." His firm reply made her fall silent for a moment, caught deep in her own thoughts.

"But… what if they follow us? What if they keep coming?"

"They will. But it's safer to retreat… you and Joshua could end up in the crossfire."

"But if they keep coming, we're just delaying the inevitable! Why can't we fight back?"

"I would." He gave her an uncertain stare, golden eyes meeting deep cerulean. "But then I couldn't protect you. These demons aren't just going after me – they're going after you, too."

She bit her lip, looking down. So this was all her fault… if she wasn't here for Chrno to constantly watch over, he could take care of this once and for all.

"I-I got…" Joshua came walking in, nervous at first, but immediately brightened up as soon as she saw Rosette was awake. "Neesan! You're okay!" He ran to her side, Chrno in turn leaving to give them some space. "I-I was so scared you wouldn't wake up!"

"Of course I would have, you dolt." She grinned, though it was plain to see she was still fairly tired. Her smile slowly disappeared though, and she reached up, grabbing his hands. "Joshua, I want you to go stay with our foster parents."

"Wh-what? But I already got train tickets to Chicago!" He stuttered, taken aback. Chrno's ears perked up.

"I'm staying here with Chrno. I need you to go someplace safe until everything is over." She replied firmly.

"Neesan, you can't be serious!" He pleaded, shaking his head.

"She's not." Chrno's voice cut in between the two, as he walked up beside the couch. "She's going with you, don't worry."

"Like Hell I am!" Rosette yelled up at him with an indignant frown. "We can't run forever, Chrno! They'll catch up to us eventually… and if you're so worried about my safety, I'll stay with you the entire way. I've got that gun I used earlier, I'm not defenseless."

"Tonight, you were lucky. I'm not going to risk you getting hurt again." The violet-haired demon glared down at her with stone cold eyes. He wasn't going to waver.

"I don't want to live like this!" She cried, making both men in front of her jump slightly. "You may think it's just fine and dandy, but I won't be able to rest easy knowing that something could pop out at any given time and hurt me or Joshua, or you! We have nothing to gain running, but time. I'm staying here, Chrno. I'm going to fight with you."

The room was filled with an uneasy silence, as Chrno gave the young girl a horribly painful look. This was what she really wanted… and, she did have a point. Running would only help for so long, but with all of Pandemonium on their tails, it wouldn't last forever.

He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair and glancing out towards the window, then slowly back at her. He knew her too well… when she was this set on something, nothing could stop her. He could force her with sheer power, but it would still never break her will.

"…….Alright." He spoke in a defeated tone. "It can't be helped then. Joshua, get yourself a ticket to Chicago."

"Ehh? How did you know our parents live in Chicago?" He stared at the demon with wide eyes, before he blinked, and suddenly felt utterly stupid. "…Oh. W-Well…I don't know…"

"Joshua, please." Rosette gave him a pleading look. "I can't bear the thought of you getting hurt because of all of this."

"Same to you!" He frowned, shaking his head slowly. "I can't leave you here… you're my sister…Neesan…" He slid to his knees, reaching out and pulling her into a hug. "I don't want to…"

"You have to." She placed a hand atop his head, stroking his hair to calm him. "No offense Joshua, but Chrno can't protect us both. I would feel so much better if I knew you were safe and away from all of this. Please, just go. I'm not doing to die on you, so we'll see each other again soon."

He quivered a bit, his hold on her tightening. "…I love you, Neesan." He whispered.

"I love you too." She smiled softly.

Slowly her brother retracted himself from her arms, sniffing just slightly as he did his best to keep his tears in check. Just thinking about being apart from her was so horribly painful…could he really do it?

"…Alright. I'll go." He wiped his eyes with his shirt sleeve, giving her the best smile he could muster. He stood to his feet, turning to look at Chrno with a hard expression. "You better keep her safe."

Chrno just smiled lightly at that, reaching out to muss the boy's hair up a bit. "Of course."

He looked up at the demon, determination still set like stone in his gaze, not seeming to mind Chrno's hand on his head in the least. "I mean it. If I found out you let her get hurt….or…or…" He bit his lip, not wanting to say any more.

"Don't worry. I'll protect your sister with my life… so rest easy."

"Hey, hey! I'm not a freaking damsel in distress! I'll blow anything's head off if it as much looks at me funny." Rosette insisted. "Just… give me the address of that place that sold those bullets. I might need more."

"Don't worry. I'm sure if you glare at anything with the same look you give me, it'll make them run with their tails between their legs." Chrno grinned with morbid amusement. "It's pretty damn frightening."

"Say that again." She did her best to give him the very glare he talked of.

"Don't push it, _dear heart_." His smile somehow changed into something a little more sadistic, making the hairs on her neck stand on end. God she hated it when he did that…

"Um…" Joshua paled a bit at the sudden tension in the air, finding it uneasy how Chrno could make the air in the room suddenly feel cold and unforgiving in an instant. He hated the thought of leaving his sister here with him… but it's what she truly wanted. "I'll… go order some tickets then…" And with that, he slunk back out of the room.

Rosette watched him leave, before looking up at her demon with a slightly annoyed look. "You didn't have to use that tone around him."

"He'll live." Chrno replied simply, which in actuality, made her seethe even more. Without so much of a warning, he stepped forward and sat down beside her on the couch, grabbing at her shirt where Dufaux's blade had cut her earlier.

"H-hey, what are you doing?!" She blushed, moving her shoulder out of his grasp. "I told you, I'm fine. It doesn't hurt anymore."

"Mm, I can see that." He pulled her back towards him with a steel grip, unbuttoning the very top of her shirt, almost enough to see her chest.

"AUGH, C-Chrno!" She pushed at him, face beet red and heart racing a mile a minute. "What the Hell?! Let me go!" What on earth was he doing, all of the sudden? For god's sake, Joshua was in the other room – there'd be no way she could convince him to leave if he caught Chrno pulling one of these stunts on her!

"Stop squirming," He ordered her firmly, but at the very least, his voice wasn't as dangerous as it had been in the past. As gently as he could, he pinned her up to the back of the couch, pulling her shirt down past her shoulder so that the wound was completely visible.

'_Oh thank god…_' Rosette inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, closing her eyes. '_He was just wanting to check my shoulder after all.._'

But her thoughts were cut short the moment she felt the heat of his tongue upon her skin.

At first she was too shocked to protest, her entire body frozen as she felt him lick at her wounded flesh, from slightly down her arm. Good lord, what was he doing?! Please Joshua, just stay in the other room… oh dear god… "Ch-Chrno!" She whimpered, shivering slightly at the feel of his tongue, somehow subconsciously more scared of the fangs that were now mere inches from her skin.

It was only a few seconds before he pulled her shirt back up, licking his now red lips with a dark grin. "Couldn't let it go to waste."

She went pale.

He was…

Licking the blood off…oh god…

"_AUGH! GET __**OFF**__ ME YOU FUCKING VAMPIRE!!!!_"

--------

Ahh, it's so late. Time to sleep. Hopefully the next chapter will come a bit quicker than this one, but I can't make any promises. I'm sorry!


End file.
